Stanley Llewelyn Wood (1867–1928)
The Regimental Museum of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
Uniforms hold together those working for a common purpose and identify status and rank within those groups. They are therefore important features in paintings that depict formal occasions or are portraits of individuals proud of their position in society.
In Europe, military uniforms were introduced rather slowly and haphazardly between the seventeenth- and late eighteenth-centuries. Regiments were very local and personal; early uniforms were merely simplified and co-ordinated civilian dress.
However, uniforms and official dress are still valuable clues to help identify unknown sitters in portraits and, as signs of rank, can help date portraits within sitters’ professional careers.
