Lord George Lennox, Colonel of the 25th Regiment of Foot, c.1771 (oil on canvas)

Lord George Lennox, Colonel of the 25th Regiment of Foot, 1771 (c). One of a set of six unsigned oil paintings on canvas attributed to Giuseppe Chiesa (d 1789), 1771 (c). The regiment setting off on the march. It may be noted that, despite its title, this painting does not depict Lennox. The officer who appears to the right of the drummer carries a spontoon and is unlikely to be the Colonel. The grenadiers to the left of the picture wear the new fur caps issued in 1768 but as yet without any plates. The 25th Regiment of Foot was stationed in Menorca from 6 June 1769 until 1775, one of several regiments garrisoned there to maintain British control of this important Mediterranean base, regained from Spain at the end of the Seven Years War (1756-1763). This series of paintings depicting the 25th Regiment of Foot during its service in Menorca originally belonged to Lord George Lennox, (1737-1805), who was colonel of the regiment 1762-1805.