A fine oil painting of a famous 19th century military and political figure is on display at Isle of Wight Council's Museum of Island History in Newport.

The image shows Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi, who is considered by many to be a National hero. There are several major monuments to Garibaldi spread across the world, including Staten Island in New York, Vatican City in Rome, Buenos Aires in Argentina, and Taganrog in Russia.

There is also a bust of Garibaldi outside the entrance to the old Supreme Court Chamber in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

Garibaldi visited the Island in 1864 and stayed with Charles Seely at Brook House. It was whilst he was staying there that the painting was commissioned.

Garibaldi was a celebrity of his day and a crowd of over 2000 people welcomed his arrival in Cowes. The shipbuilders J.S. Whites even gave their workers the afternoon off to mark the event.

He met with the poet Alfred Lord Tennyson at Farringford where they recited poetry to each other with Garibaldi repeating Italian verses which Tennyson did not understand.

Garibaldi visited Newport on 7 April 1864 where the streets were decorated with flags and banners with thousands cheering his arrival. He was greeted by the mayor, Mr W.B Mew at the Guildhall and later dined in the council chamber.

The large oil painting of Giuseppe Garibaldi was donated to Isle of Wight Council's Heritage Service by the daughters of Louis and Julia Denaro. Louis and Julia bought the Old Coach House at Brook House in 1958 and it was then that they discovered the painting of Garibaldi in the greenhouse of the walled garden.

To celebrate this important new acquisition the Museum of Island History, which can be found in the Guildhall in Newport, will be open free of charge on Saturday 12 December between 1000 - 1700.

Image: Isle of Wight Council