Portrait of Charles Edward Stuart (the Young Pretender)

Charles Edward, also known as “The Young Pretender”, was the son of James III Stuart and Maria Clementina Sobieska, who led the unsuccessful 1745 rising in support of the Stuart family for the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland. He grew up between Rome and Bologna and during his entire life behaved as if he was the king of Italy and France, claiming his birthright sovereignty. His figure was cloaked in an aura of heroism for the 1745 events and had a considerable charme for his liberal lifestyle: he had many lovers and sons, but only one single wife, who left him for the literate Vittorio Alfieri. Franscesco Trevisani depicted him in his quality of “pretender”, as understandable from the presence of the ermine cloak and the position of his hand on the crown in the foreground.