December 10-13, 2024 Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/10/2024
Attributed to John Eckstein. "Major-General Hugh Lyle Carmichael and Colonel, 2nd West India Regiment of Foot, c. 1809." Oil on canvas, 30 x 25 inches, within a Georgian, gilt composition frame. Carmichael (1764-1813) was promoted to major general in 1808 and this painting commemorates his stellar service in forcing the surrender of French-held Santo Domingo in 1809, with map of the island in-hand, ships and land batteries bombarding the French works and the sword presented to him for his valor at his side. Earlier, Carmichael had commanded the 2nd West India Regiment and still remained its colonel-commandant; it was a crack corps largely composed of former slaves and also participated in the capture of the island. Carmichael was quick to recognize the great value of black troops in the West Indies campaigning, pointing out not only their military bearing, but stamina under grueling campaign conditions, noting that in the taking of Grenada his men carried British soldiers up the rocky slopes, when the latter could no longer deal with the heat and terrain. He also campaigned for slave soldiers to be able to give evidence at military courts; previously they had only been able to speak at slave courts. In 1812 Carmichael was appointed Governor of Demerara-Essequibo (now part of Guyana) and died there a year later. The artist John Eckstein (1765-1837) was the son of a noted sculptor of the same name and exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1787-1802 before accompanying Sir Samuel Hood's naval expedition to the West Indies in 1803 as "combat artist". A smaller, "bust" version of this portrait by the same hand is the collections of the National Army Museum in London. Eckstein remained in the West Indies, initially painting portraits of military men and planters, but settled in Barbados and became active with the island militia and seems to have ceased painting (at least as a profession) by 1817. The sword shown at his side was later in the collection of the late Jay Altmayer and featured in the V&A Museum's publication: "Three Presentation Swords..."; whereabouts now unknown. CONDITION: good to very good color and condition, with random spots of inpainting, primarily restricted to the upper background; relined; frame very good.