Bacchic Procession of Putti

The Master J.H. (probably Jerome Hesketh) (fl.1647-1666). Oil painting on canvas, Bacchic Proscession of Putti by Master J. H. (fl.1647-1666), signed, bottom centre: JHic 1660. (The J and H are joined). Procession of child musicians, led by a black boy holding a thyrsus with pendant ewer and riding a goat, followed by ten naked boys playing musical instruments, one carries fruit/flower garlands, one a red banner, four are playing horns, two are carrying drums one has a recorder and one carries an urn. Set in a landscape with hills and a ruin in the distance. 'J.H.', known by his monogram only, practised in the north-west in the mid-17th century, primarily amongst Catholic and Jacobite families. Lyme Park, Cheshire (Accredited Museum)