Prince James Francis Edward Stuart
- Artist: Anton Raphael Mengs
- Date: 1740
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 29 1/2 in. x 24 in. (749 mm x 610 mm)
- Portrays: Prince James Francis Edward Stuart
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
Listen to the free audio guide
About this artwork
In front of you stands “Prince James Francis Edward Stuart.” It’s an oil on canvas from the mid‑1740s, most likely painted by Anton Raphael Mengs in Rome. The portrait is about 30 inches tall and a bit over 24 inches wide—a substantial size for a seated head.
The sitter wears a blue ribbon with a star, showing he was a Knight of the Garter, and a green ribbon bearing a medallion that marks him as a Knight of the Thistle. These small details are painted with careful lightness; notice how Mengs captures the sheen on the cloth against the subtle background.
Prince James (1688‑1766), son of King James II and famously called “The Old Pretender,” appears relaxed yet poised, like many of the 62 portraits he sat for. This piece lives in the Primary Collection of the National Portrait Gallery.
See it in person
Prince James Francis Edward Stuart is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
