A lieutenant colonel of Yeomanry: a large oil portrait by George Henry

A large and attractive portrait of a lieutenant colonel wearing a monocle, currently not identified and needing further research.

The large three quarter length portrait measures 54 x 36 inches and shows the colonel approximately life sized. It is painted in oil on canvas and signed lower right GEORGE HENRY. The figure, who wears a monocle, is shown wearing service dress and probably dates from 1935 or shortly afterwards as the last but one medal ribbon he wears is for the Jubilee of King George V & Queen Mary in 1935. George Henry, who rather unusually signed in capital letters, lived from 1858 to 1943 and painted various subjects but this example falls into his society portrait work. He was born in Ayrshire and trained in Glasgow.

The sitter wears medal ribbons for: Order of the Bath, Order of the Indian Empire, Queen’s South Africa Medal, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal, Delhi Durbar or Coronation 1911 [both used the same ribbon], Jubilee 1935, Territorial Decoration. The collar badges are not clear but the general shape suggests they could be the Queen’s Own Royal Glasgow Yeomanry which would fit well with the artists area of work. The painting came to us from Edinburgh but without a precise provenance that helps.

There is some damage and loss of surface paint to the lower right corner where the colonel is holding his cap but the remainder of the unframed portrait is in decent condition.