Joshua Reynolds: Portrait of Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Bellamont, in Robes of the Order of the Bath
1773-74
One glimpse at the Earl of Bellamont’s portrait and I can tell the Gallery tag is right, the Earl was vain and pompous. Joshua Reynolds depicted his antipathetic personality in such an elegant manner that even the model himself could have not seen it.
Reynolds, the celebrated British painter had a sense of humor and a talent of caricaturing people. He painted many funny figures with enormous noses, legs like matchsticks, and woozy-booby gazes.I do not know if the artist intended to picture the Earl in a somehow satirical way but unconsciously he definitely did. Maybe it is just my dim idea.
The arrogant Earl of Bellamont had a neglected wife and six illegitimate children. He was a hopeless womanizer. He often got into trouble because of his liaisons. So did he in 1773, when he was seriously injured in a duel and almost died. Ironically he was shot in his precious groin. It was like a warning sign from Nature to cool down. But he bore it with the same arrogance as before and for everyone’s surprise he recovered shortly. After the incident he was inaugurated as a Knight of the Bath.
Reynolds painted the Earl in his full ceremonial ‘knightly’ costume and in a hat with giant feathers. His robe was red originally but faded away over time. It turned pink, making him more dandified, which I regard as revenge from Nature and is quite right. He looks content, a weakling and not virile at all, especially in those rosy shoes.
I also noticed that his robe’s strings dangle from his neck, knotted at his belly, and stretch as far as his thighs. The strings end in two big tassels symbolizing the Earl’s manliness, which has been hurt but healed and stronger, and bigger, than ever. No one should think the contrary.
The tassel thing is my theory and was not mentioned anywhere but I know what I know. If he must be a knight if any, I would rather constitute him as a Knight of the Bedroom.
