Portrait of John 20th Earl of Crawford and Lindsay
by WAITT, Richard, Oil on canvas laid onto board
This painting represents the full-length portrait of John 20th Earl of Crawford and Lindsay, “The Gallant Earl of Crawford” (1702-1749) dressed in Hussars’ uniform holding a musket and standing in a highland landscape. Like his father he sought a military career; he entered the army in 1726 and was a captain in the 3rd foot guards by the end of 1734. Undoubted bravery, far-flung service, generosity of spirit, and courageous persistence in living with a painful wound made “the gallant earl” a hero to his contemporaries.