Bid to uncover secrets of 17th Century Manx martyr's portrait

The portrait is the only known likeness of Illiam Dhone

A portrait of a celebrated Isle of Man martyr who led a 17th Century rebellion is to be studied by specialists in a bid to reveal its unknown origins.

The painting of William Christian, known as Illiam Dhone, is to be shipped to Harrogate and studied by art analysts using infrared technology.

He was executed in 1663 for leading an uprising during the English Civil War.

Chris Weeks of Manx National Heritage said the work could reveal the "great mystery" of who painted his portrait.

Dhone led an uprising against the Isle of Man's royalist rulers in 1651 to negotiate a surrender with a parliamentary invasion fleet in order to protect the island's traditional rights.

After royalist rule was restored under Charles II, Dhone was shot by a firing squad in 1663 for treason at Hango Hill in Castletown, a site where Manx nationalists gather annually in a ceremony to mark his death.

Hidden layers

The contemporary 17th Century oil painting is part of the national art collection, but archivists have been unable to pinpoint its exact origins.

The painting is set to be taken to a specialist art conservation studio in Harrogate where infrared techniques will be used to search for details in the layers of the portrait, which could reveal hidden signatures and underdrawings.

Mr Weeks, who is conservator for the national collections, said the study would "help us see through paint layers that are impenetrable to the human eye".

The process would help historians uncover what has happened to the painting "over almost four centuries since it was painted", as well revealing its original colours, he added.

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