The 25th Regiment of Foot in Minorca (Menorca), c.1771 (oil on canvas)

The 25th Regiment of Foot in Minorca (Menorca), 1771 (c). One of a set of six unsigned oil paintings on canvas attributed to Giuseppe Chiesa, 1771 (c). A wooded grove with groups of soldiers of the 25th Regiment of Foot with their mascot, 1771 (c). Originally entitled ‘Regimental Officers’ the painting depicts not only the dog and officers of the 25th Regiment of Foot, with some of their men resting beyond but also, across the stream, some foreign troops dressed in white. It is thought that these could possibly come from the Russian fleet under Admiral Grigory Spiridonov, which revictualled (took on food and provisions) at the island from late 1769 to July 1770. 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.