by William Tate (1748-1806), 1781. As a mark of his status
as an officer, Hewitt wears a silver gorget around his neck. The 'wings'
on the shoulders of his uniform distinguish him as a member of a light
company; his light infantry cap is held in his left hand. He carries a
fusil or light musket - a weapon frequently carried by light company
officers which was usually privately purchased. Portraits of officers
carrying such a weapon are rare.
From here
From here
One of the most intriguing aspects of the Hewitt portrait is that his rammer is wooden. The other ranks all had steel rammers, but the privately purchased officer's fusil came with a wooden one. And Hewitt's isn't the only portrait depicting that.
ReplyDelete