A Rare Military Gouache and watercolour of a Private of the 1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot, 1742, by E. V. Howell, Dated 1926

A Rare Military Gouache of a Private of the 1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot, 1742, by E. V. Howell, Dated 1926

An unusual and finely executed gouache depicting a private of the 1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot, later the Royal Scots, in the uniform of 1742. Signed and dated 1926 by the military artist E. V. Howell.

The figure is depicted in the distinctive uniform of Britain’s senior infantry regiment during the reign of George II, wearing the traditional red coat with blue facings, white breeches and long white gaiters, the latter carefully rendered with individual buttons and folds.

The uniform is representative of the dress recorded in the celebrated Cloathing Book of 1742, an important contemporary record of British Army uniforms during the eighteenth century.

The Artist

E. V. Howell was a former lieutenant in the Royal Artillery who subsequently specialised in historical military subjects, producing both paintings and hand-painted wooden military figures.

His work is particularly associated with the accurate representation of British regimental uniforms, and examples of his painted figures are recorded in regimental museum collections.

A surviving example depicting a private of the 4th (King’s Own) Regiment of Foot in 1742 is held by the King’s Own Royal Regiment Museum, Lancaster, together with correspondence relating to Howell’s work.

Although Howell’s painted wooden soldiers are occasionally encountered, his original works on paper appear considerably scarcer.

The 1st (Royal) Regiment of Foot was established in 1633 and subsequently became known as the Royal Scots. As Britain’s oldest infantry regiment, it enjoyed a distinguished position within the Army.

The present study captures the appearance of an ordinary soldier during the early Georgian period, with particular attention paid to the details of his uniform and equipment.

An uncommon example of early twentieth-century British military art, of particular interest to collectors of regimental history, historical uniforms and military illustration.

Gouache and watercolour on paper.

Signed E. V. Howell and dated 1926.

Measuring: 55 cm x 27 cm

English, 1926.