Portrait of a Scottish monarch, oil on canvas, 19th century.

Oil on canvas. Intense and of high quality, the painting depicts a monarch from the royal house of Scotland. Surrounding the portrait, in a painted oval frame, are inscriptions: the name Rober(t) appears in the top left, the title Rex in the bottom left, and the abbreviation Scot, which means Scotorum, on the right; the inscription in the top right is not identifiable but seems to be an acronym. The man depicted wears a hat and a cloak adorned with ermine fur, considered the most noble fur, reserved for royalty. He wears a gold pendant around his neck, representing two leaves with the fruit of the thistle, which, in heraldry, symbolises Scotland. The inscriptions and the pendant thus refer to a Robert of Scotland, likely from the dynasty that ruled in the 14th century. However, the portrait was executed during the Romantic period of the 19th century, probably inspired by old engravings. Restored and relined, it is presented in a styled frame.