Portrait of an Officer of the 17th Foot, The Royal Leicestershire Regiment

Art Historical Context

Step into the refined world of 18th-century portraiture with *Portrait of an Officer of 17th Foot, The Royal Leicestershire Regiment* Richard Cosway, R., created in 1787. This intimate watercolor on ivory miniature, measuring just 6.4 × 5.2 cm, captures the poised dignity of a British army officer from the esteemed 17th Regiment of Foot. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's of Painting and Sculpture of, it exemplifies the era's fascination with personal, wearable art—often set into lockets or brooches as cherished keepsakes. Cosway, one of Britain's foremost miniaturists and Miniature Painter to King George III, mastered the challenging technique of layering translucent watercolors on ivory, achieving a luminous, enamel-like glow and exquisite detail in tiny spaces. During the late Georgian period, such portraits celebrated military valor amid Britain's expanding empire and ongoing conflicts, like the American Revolutionary War's aftermath. The 17th Foot, raised in 1688, embodied regimental pride with its distinctive uniform, here rendered with Cosway's signature elegance. This gem highlights miniature painting's cultural role: affordable yet aristocratic, bridging portraiture's grandeur with everyday intimacy. Visitors can marvel at how Cosway distilled a soldier's resolve into a jewel-like form, preserving a slice of martial history.