NAM.1975-08-50-1

The Battle of the Boyne, 12 July 1690. Oil on canvas, signed and dated lower left ‘Jan Wyck 1690’, by Jan Wyck (1645-1700), 1690. Associated with the Irish War (1689-1691) The deposed king, James II (1633-1701), still had many supporters in Ireland. On 12 July 1690 (Modern Calendar; 1 July 1690 Old Style), his army met the forces of William III (1650-1702) by the Boyne River near the town of Drogheda, about 50 km (32 miles) north of Dublin. Despite stiff resistance, William’s forces eventually broke through the Jacobite centre and right, causing a general retreat. William III and his officers can be seen in the right foreground, while in the background, his troops force the passage of the river. Although the Battle of the Boyne was later celebrated as a decisive victory for William, Jacobite casualties were comparatively light and the greater part of James’s army escaped.

Boyne, Battle of the, 1690 (Irish War 1689-1691)