Painting: The Manchester Hero or Arts Yield

Dateca. 1770

Artist/Maker John Collet (1725?-1780)

MediumOil on canvas in a carved and gilded wood frame

Dimensionspainting: 13 3/8" x 10 3/8" frame: 18 7/8" x 15 7/8"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1993-138,A&B

DescriptionAt center, a man stands with legs apart and hands on his hips. To his proper left and right, a man in military garb and a woman in a dress hold onto his arms, the man placing a hat on the central man's head. A soldier standing in the shadows on the right of the composition holds a drum while drinking from a wine glass. The entire scene is placed within a faux window surround.
Label TextAs a commentary on military recruitment, this John Collet painting became the source for satirical mezzotints reproduced and published by Carington Bowles, one of which resides in the Colonial Williamsburg collection (1996-75). The scene depicts a recruiting sergeant and a woman competing for the fate of a tradesman. Behind them, a partially-obscured note hangs on a building and reads, "All aspiring young men..." In addition to the painting's value as a print source, the detailed costumes of the three individuals create a compelling study of 18th century dress.
MarkingsOn the key stone of the faux window surround: "The Manchester Hero or Arts Yield to Arms"
ProvenanceCarington Bowles [1724-1793] (London, England); possibly to his son, Henry Carrington Bowles [1763-1830] (London, England); ownership unknown; 1993 (Sotheby's, London, England, July 14, 1993, Lot 100, Sale #93363); 1993-present, purchased by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.