File:A flag officer, previously thought to be Sir Chaloner Ogle (1729-1816), Admiral of the Red RMG BHC2919.tiff

A three-quarter-length portrait showing the sitter turned half to viewer's right, in the flag officer's full-dress uniform of 1767-83 and apparently wearing his own hair dressed and powdered. His right hand is on his sword and his left is in a relaxed palm-up conversational gesture lower right against the rather sombre sky background of the canvas. This portrait has been the subject of long confusion, not yet entirely resolved. It was originally acquired in 1935 as an unnamed flag officer and subsequently identified, though on what grounds are not yet clear, as Sir Chaloner Ogle, Admiral of the Red and 1st Baronet of Martyr Worthy. This was later cast into doubt by knowledge of a half-length portrait by Romney (in the Metropolitan Museum, New York since 1953) of another naval officer of the same name and in the same uniform but of very different looks. This conflict may now be resolving through family research by Anne Ammundsen (2011) who has drawn attention to another half-length portrait (30 x 35 in.) clearly of the present sitter which was sold in a 'Masters and Makers' sale at Christie's, South Kensington, London on 29 September 2009, lot 486. This bears identification as Sir Chaloner in an inscription on the lining canvas and was sold as by a 'follower of Joshua Reynolds'. It is not after Reynolds, since there is no evidence Ogle sat to him, but it could be based on the present portrait, although though the pose is a little different, with the left lapel falling loosely over the front, more in Reynolds's occasional manner. The portrait in New York is smaller (30 x 24 ins: 762 X 675 mm) and bears an inscription on the reverse: 'Sir Chaloner Ogle. Brt / Senior Admiral of the Red. / His Royal Hs the Duke of Clarence being made / Admiral of the fleet over his head / died 1816'. It also has a family provenance to 1928 but the portrait itself appears to be at best studio work rather than unquestionably by Romney himself. The possibility that the New York picture might -despite the inscription- be Captain Chaloner Ogle (1725-1814) the present sitter's cousin, seems to be ruled out by the uniform since he did not achieve flag rank. Romney's sitters' book includes sittings for Sir C. or Ch. Ogle, and once for Sir Chevelr Ogle—on May 12, 14, 16, and 18, 1781, and on June 13 and 19, 1782. If all these relate to just one portrait, it is more likely to be the present one in terms of the apparent amount of work involved although it is only slightly larger ('kit-kat' size, 36 x 28 ins) than the New York picture. Both men were younger second cousins to Admiral Sir Chaloner Ogle (1680-1750), see BHC2917.

While commanding the 'Resolution' 74 guns in 1780, Ogle formed part of Rodney's fleet to relieve Gibraltar and was present at the Moonlight Battle off Cape St Vincent against the Spanish fleet which followed shortly afterwards. He returned to England with the prizes but then followed Rodney to the West Indies as Commodore, before becoming rear-admiral later in the year and returned again to England. With the end of the American War in 1783 there was no further employment for him, or when the French wars began in 1793 - by which time he was in his early 60s. At his death he had risen by list promotions to senior Admiral of the Red, but had never flown his flag in a fleet command.
Portrait of a flag officer, circa 1767