A new portrait of Harry Hotspur by Welsh artist Stephen Hopper was unveiled on the anniversary of the Battle of Shrewsbury at the Battlefield Church of St Mary Magdalene on Sunday 21st July. The church stands on the mass burial site of the unclaimed dead from the battlefield where the impetuous knight was slain.
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’.
Bringing Hotspur to life
Welsh artist Stephen Hopper wanted to commemorate the life of Hotspur by painting a life-sized portrait of him.
Harry Hotspur was born in Alnwick Castle, Northumberland, seat of the Percy family—the Dukes of Northumberland. Artist Hopper was also born and raised in Alnwick so held an affinity with the legendary man himself. His Hotspur portrait is the culmination of a series of twelve historical portraits under the theme of ‘Poets, Saints & Rebels’. Amongst other notable figures in the series is Owain Glyndwr, St David and Dylan Thomas.
Hopper says:
“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 involved extensive research, liaising with the Alnwick Castle historical archivist and the study of engravings and paintings of previous members of Hotspur’s family.
“I wanted to show him as a determined man of action yet reflect his diplomatic and political sharpness—he was a cultured yet relentlessly ambitious figure.”
“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’ translated as ‘Hope in God’.”{title}
The unveiling
The commemorative event in Shrewsbury was opened by Mr Anthony Rich, Vice Chair of The Battlefields Trust with Councillor Alex Wagner, the Deputy Mayor of Shrewsbury performing the unveiling of the painting itself.
A remembrance service followed, conducted by the Revd Hannah Lins, Vicar of the Severn Loop Parishes. An authentic and colourful procession of members of The Shrewsbury Levy re-enactment group provided a dramatic backdrop and context to the proceedings.
The event closed with an organised walk on the battlefield itself.
About the artist
Stephen Hopper is an artist known for his landscapes and portrait paintings. Born in Alnwick, Northumberland he attended Liverpool Art School. He had a long, successful career in advertising and design, latterly running his own design company. In 2016 he relocated to Wales and established his art studio in 2020.
Hopper’s early aviation paintings have been exhibited at the Mall Galleries in London and the Imperial War Museum, Duxford. He has nine aviation paintings on display at the RAF Museum, Cosford. In 2021, Hopper’s depiction of the Battle of Loos won the ‘Best WWI painting’ in the Guild of Aviation Artists’ annual exhibition.
He is currently working on a series of Welsh landscapes linked to literature, and obliquely, to historical themes such as the lives of mining communities.
Hopper has work in collections through the UK, Europe, the USA, and Canada. He can be contacted on 07802 779484 or via his website: www.stephenhopper.net
Feature image: ‘The Deputy Mayor of Shrewsbury, councillor Alex Wagner, with artist Stephen Hopper, the Hotspur portrait, vice chair Anthony Rich, and Martin Hackett of the Battlefields Trust (Photo: Chris Warrender).’
