Harry Hotspur – Bringing history to life

The story behind the portrait of Harry Hotspur

In July 1403, one of the most political and ferocious battles took place on the outskirts of Shrewsbury. Ultimately English King Henry IV and his son Prince Hal, a mere boy at the time, prevailed against rebel forces. The rebels were led by the impetuous Sir Henry Percy, better known as Harry Hotspur.

The irony was that Hotspur had been influential in putting Henry on the throne in the first place and was now about to lose his life fighting against him.

The Battle of Shrewsbury, 21st July 1403

The battle is well documented, although some facts have been skewed for the sake of dramatic effect. The 39-year-old Hotspur didn’t really lose his life in a duel with the boy Prince Hal, as Shakespeare and the film ‘The King’ would have us believe. Historians generally agree that he met his death when an arrow pieced the visor of his helmet. Thousands of men were slaughtered in hails of arrows and hand-to-hand combat. Three years after the battle, the Church of St Mary Magdalene was built on the site of the mass grave of men from both sides.

Today Hotspur is largely forgotten, aside from a local Shrewsbury pub, a London football team and the slightly inaccurate account by William Shakespeare.

Bringing Harry Hotspur to life

Welsh artist Stephen Hopper – originally from Alnwick, Hotspur’s home – wanted to commemorate the life of a man who was not just a rebel, but a courtier, a lawyer and a politician by painting a life-sized portrait of Hotspur.

Harry Hotspur was born and lived much of his life in Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, seat of the Percy family—the Dukes of Northumberland. Artist Hopper was also born and spent his early life in Alnwick so held an affinity with local history and tales of the legendary man himself. His Hotspur portrait is the culmination of a series of twelve historical portraits under the theme of ‘Poets, Saints & Rebels’.

Creating a believable image of a figure from history is a challenge. Hopper writes that “Hotspur is the archetypal anti-hero, a rebel of such character and significance that he has passed from history into legend. To represent his character in a painting has involved months of research, visits to battlefields, reading books (some written or co-authored by the present-day Duke of Northumberland—himself an historical scholar), liaising with the Alnwick Castle historical archivist and the meticulous study of engravings and depictions of previous Dukes of Northumberland. Upon discovering a common facial bone structure across previous members of the Percy family, up to and including the present-day Duke, I decided that would be my starting point. As to Hotspur’s character, I wanted to show him as a determined man of action yet with a softer, subtle and more intellectual edge. The painting is set within Alnwick Castle and Hotspur is depicted wearing the Percy heraldic tabard and suit of armour (itself a result of much research). Hotspur’s strong-willed character is aided by the painting’s lower viewpoint, creating a more imposing stance. The title of the painting is taken from Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part 1: “That roan shall be my throne. Well, I will back him straight: O Esperance!” Roan is the name of his chosen fighting horse and Shakespeare references the Percy family motto of ‘Esperance en Dieu’ meaning ‘hope in God’.

For more information on the Hotspur portrait or on commissioning a portrait please contact me here.