360 years after his execution, an iconic painting of Illiam Dhone from the Manx National Heritage art collection is travelling to the United Kingdom for specialist study. Painted at a time when the Isle of Man was owned and ruled by the Earl of Derby and his family, the grand portrait is the only known likeness of this important Manx figure, who was shot for treason at Hango Hill in 1663. The painting will be transported to Harrogate this week, where it will be studied under infrared light with the help of art analysts Tager Stonor Richardson in the studios of Francis J Downing Ltd, an accredited studio specialising in cleaning and conserving paintings.

Infrared imaging is a non-destructive technique used to detect hidden details under the upper layers of paintings, such as added paint, underdrawings, and hidden signatures, revealing evidence of an artist’s creative processes, alterations, reworking and different types of pigments.

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