Charity
Dhone Portrait Sent for Inspection
Dhone was executed at Hango Hill in 1663 on a charge of treason.
The portrait of Manx patriot Illiam Dhone, one of the largest paintings in the Manx national collection, is going off-island to be inspected by specialist paintings conservator.
In preparation for going off-island, the painting was removed from display earlier this year.
Once that inspection has been completed, a condition survey of the painting and a proposal for its conservation will be prepared.
MNH said: ‘Sadly, no facilities for large-scale x-ray and infrared imaging are available on the island. The study will help us learn more about the original appearance of the painting and, possibly, the artist.’
Who Was Illiam Dhone?
We know that not everyone will know, so in the words of MNH:
‘A controversial figure in Manx history, he was executed at Hango Hill in 1663 on a charge of treason brought by Charles, 8th Earl of Derby.
‘Many believe that this was an unjust charge, especially as the Act of Indemnity introduced by King Charles II in England was designed to draw a line under all acts committed during the recent English Civil War. There was dispute as to whether the Act applied in the Isle of Man, and when Illiam Dhone returned to the island after the War, the Earl had him arrested and executed.
‘The Earl and the Island’s Deemsters were subsequently summoned to London and vilified by the King; the Deemsters being held in an English prison for a year.
‘On the island, Illiam Dhone became a martyr and folk-hero, a symbol of the Island’s cherished freedoms and traditional rights. His occasional spells in prison on charges of misappropriating Manx taxes long forgotten.’
