Portrait of Captain Thomas Lee, 1594


Portrait of Captain Thomas Lee. Lee's portrait was done in 1594, when he was 43 years-old, by the Flemish artist Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger. It was probably commissioned by his cousin, Henry Lee of Ditchley. The subject is shown in the regalia of a captain of the Queen's Kern (a hybrid combination of English & Irish dress), posing with legs and feet bare, and armed with shield, spear and pistol. Lee served in Ireland continuosly from 1575 to 1599.



See also Derricke's The Image of Irelande (1581)
Irish soldier serving on the continent by Casper Rutz, 1586
Irish army of the 16th Century by George Gush
Clothing of the Ancient Celts - Late Medieval Ireland (Late 15th - early 16th c.), by M. E. Riley
Other Irish Illustrations of Costume and Soldiers