The uniform worn by this officer conforms to the 1820s style in that the Prussian collar is closed, an uncomfortable fashion in a hot climate. This coloured painting shows that the French grey jacket has black facings, a distinction of the 5th Bengal Light Cavalry adopted in 1818. The artist is probably the same person who painted this same officer in 1818. But this time the officer is wearing, or carrying, a shako. The bell-topped shape that distinguished the shako of the 1830s was not so developed in this early version. It has silver lace around the top and there is a silver star badge on the front with a gilt centre. The cap-lines are gold but do not end with a festoon across the front. The chin-scales are silver and there is a white metal edge to the peak. The plume appears to be white and red horsehair drooping in front of the cap.
His belts are laced with silver and have a central black stripe. The Light Cavalry sword is slung from a waist-belt together with a sabretache which is black on the under-side and rather small. It is unfortunate that we cannot see the front. The tache previously worn high on the hip in the late 18th century was discontinued in 1802, but this painting is evidence that they had returned, but slung much lower. He has white breeches and knee boots. Other paintings and prints show the officers and men of the Light Cavalry wearing jackboots, extending above the knee.
In the background is the officer’s charger being held by an Indian servant. The saddle-cloth or shabraque is French grey like the uniform, covering the saddle, and having the girth strapped over the top. There is a rolled cloak on the back of the saddle that must be dark blue with a French grey lining.
The painting comes from the Brown University Repository and is described as ‘An officer of the Bengal Light Cavalry c.1818’ charcoal and watercolour. The date for the change of facings from orange to black is based on the annual East India Register which records ‘black’ from 1818 onwards. However, the closed Prussian collar dates the painting after 1820. If this officer is the CO, James Russell, it would be before 1825 when he relinquished command.
