Sir John Ross (1777-1856), 1812-18 (oil painting)

Creator: British School This painting appears to show Ross in civilian dress wearing a fur-collared cape loosely round his shoulders, the yellow flashes to the left probably being the metal chain fastening. Ross was promoted Commander in 1812 after considerable Baltic service in which, while a lieutenant in 1809, he became a Knight of the Swedish order of the Sword. He subsequently continued on largely northern and service until leading his first Arctic expedition in 1818. He was only promoted to Captain on his return that December. The fur cloak could allude to any of this, but he is clearly shown as a young man (he would have been forty in 1817) so was probably painted before 1820.