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Lieutenant James Wilcox (d. 1811), c.1806-09 (watercolour, ivory, glass, gilt, human hair)
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Lieutenant James Wilcox (d. 1811), c.1806-09 (watercolour, ivory, glass, gilt, human hair)
7340101 Lieutenant James Wilcox (d. 1811), c.1806-09 (watercolour, ivory, glass, gilt, human hair) by Unknown Artist, (19th century); 6.5x5.5 cm; National Maritime Museum, London, UK; (add.info.: Creator: unknown
An oval miniature in watercolour on ivory, in an oval gilt suspension frame with a glazed back containing an interwoven plait of brown but greying hair, presumably the sitter's. He is shown bust-length turned to his right but looking out to the viewer. He has a short brown hair cut in Regency style, with sideburns, blue eyes, and wears the lieutenant's full-dress uniform of 1787-1812, with white waistcoat and shirt, with a broad black stock and /or neckcloth over the shirt collar. The background is a neutral hatched grey, slightly darker towards the bottom. A piece of paper, annotated in a 20th century hand, on the reverse identifies him and that he was lost in HMS Hero, 74 guns, at N. Haaks, Texel on the coast of Holland on 24 December 1811, (in fact the 25th). Wilcox was commissioned lieutenant on 23 June 1806, apparently serving first in the Savage, sloop in 1806-1807. On 16 May 1809 he was appointed to the Hero, under Captain James Newman-Newman, who in late 1811 was charged with escorting a large convoy from Gothenberg to London. This had joined with parts of the British Baltic Fleet when it was struck by a huge storm which wrecked over 30 merchant ships and, on 24 December, claimed Admiral Reynolds's flagship St George and the Defence'. Hundreds were drowned including Reynolds and on Christmas Day the Hero was also driven ashore on the Haak Sands off the Texel, on the Dutch coast. Weather conditions prevented boats being launched or any rescue attempt and only twelve men survived. Wilcox and Newman-Newman, (of whom there is also a portrait in the collection, BHC2910) were among several hundred casualties.); © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Media ID 38372172
© © National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London / Bridgeman Images
19th Century Fashion Amred Forces Brigadier Colonel Corporal Lieutenant Major Military Officer Private Sergeant Watercolors Watercolour Paint 19th Mode Marines Maritime Force Naval Force Naval Infantry
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This hauntingly beautiful miniature portrait captures the likeness of Lieutenant James Wilcox, a brave naval officer who tragically lost his life at sea in 1811. Painted on ivory with delicate watercolors, this piece is a testament to the skill of the unknown artist who captured every detail of Wilcox's appearance.
Wilcox is depicted in his full-dress uniform, complete with white waistcoat and shirt, black stock, and neckcloth. His short brown hair is styled in the fashionable Regency cut of the time, framing his piercing blue eyes and sideburns. The background of the portrait is a subtle grey hue, drawing attention to Wilcox's solemn expression as he gazes out towards the viewer.
The oval gilt suspension frame adds an air of elegance to this intimate portrayal of a man who met a tragic end at sea. An interwoven plait of brown but greying hair enclosed within the glass back further personalizes this artwork, presumably belonging to the sitter himself.
A poignant reminder of Wilcox's untimely demise aboard HMS 'Hero' during a fierce storm off the coast of Holland on Christmas Day 1811, this miniature serves as both a tribute to his memory and a glimpse into naval history during that tumultuous period.
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