Artist: John Millar Watt
(biography)Medium: Pen & Ink Wash on Board
Size: 16" x 8" (395mm x 200mm)
Date: 1964
Signature: Signed by artist with monogram bottom right and signed on reverse
This is the Signed unique original Pen & Ink Wash by John Millar Watt.This fabulous illustration depicting the Duke of Marlborough being escorted to the Tower of London on grounds of treason was painted by John Millar-Watt on 8/10/1964 and subsequently published in Look and Learn magazine Issue 151, released 5/12/1964. Millar-Watt's inimitable fast passed pen lines create a furore of ambience in this politically charged scene.
The Duke's signature was discovered on papers pertaining to treason, amongst these papers there was a deed, pledging allegiance to James who had fled to France. After mounting a fierce defence, Marlborough and the other Jacobites named in the papers were acquitted, as it was discovered that the papers were forgeries created by none other than Robert Young, a criminal serving time in the famous Newgate Prison. Although all the prisoners were acquitted, the Duke of Marlborough was still detained, as he had proved to be extremely duplicitous in the past.
In 1702, the King had entirely forgiven Marlborough and entrusted him with the overall command of the allied forces on the continent. Within 7 years the Duke had won four of the most famous battles in history: Blenheim, Ramillies, Oudenarde and Malplaquet.