The portrait of Sir Robert Rich is the oldest portrait of an officer who commanded both the 4th Dragoons (1735-1760) and the 8th Dragoons (1725-1731).
His right eye has been obscured by a rather inelegant and somewhat badly fitting patch, the origin of which has remained something of a mystery.
The fact that his eye was uncovered by a local German art restorer and found to be slightly damaged may give weight to the theory that it was accidentally damaged and covered by an amateur artist to prevent the discovery of the mishap.
The eye itself is not well balanced with its opposite number and this is not solely a result of the restoration.
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