Portrait of George III (1738-1820)

Dateca. 1770

Studio of Allan Ramsay (1713 - 1784)

MediumOil on canvas, in gilded carved wood frame

DimensionsUnframed: 97" x 62 3/4" and Framed: 112 3/4" x 76 1/2"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1936-375,A&B

DescriptionA full-length portrait showing George III in robes of the Order of the Garter, situated in front of a classical, draped column and standing on a slight dais covered in an elaborately figured carpet. He wears the Order of the Garter and his body is turned in pleasing contrapposto, his proper right hand on his hip, his proper left hand resting on a portion of his robes spread over a table beside him.
Label TextRamsay first painted George III in 1757 when he was still the Prince of Wales, long before his succession to the throne on October 25, 1760. After the coronation, which took place on September 22, 1761, Ramsay updated one of his---by then, several---extant full-length portraits to show the new king in state robes. At the same time, he executed an official, corresponding portrait of Queen Charlotte.
Colonial Williamsburg's portraits of George III and Charlotte (hers is acc. no. 1936-376) are not Ramsay's originals but, rather, good quality replicas from the artist's studio. Although initially Ramsay resolved to "give the last painting to all" his replicas with his own hand, he was quickly overcome by the enormity of the task. Ultimately, his studio produced more than 100 pairs of these monarchs' portraits (possibly more than 150), plus additional examples of the King and Queen individually. Necessarily, much of the work was delegated to assistants, among whom were David Martin, Philip Reinagle, Mary Black, Peter Vandyke, John Giles Eccard, and George Roth.
The multiple state portraits of King George III and Queen Charlotte created in Ramsay's studio were distributed to various ambassadors and provincial governors as marks of office, but they also were sought avidly by heads of state, members of the Royal family, courtiers, corporations, and institutions.
Both Lord Botetourt and Lord Dunmore possessed portraits of the King and Queen that undoubtedly were very similar, if not virtually identical, to Colonial Williamsburg's pair. None of their examples has been located to date, however.

Provenance1763, commissioned by Joseph Yorke, later 1st Baron Dover [1724-1792]; By 1792, by inheritance to his nephew, Philip Yorke, 3rd Earl of Hardwicke [1757-1834] (Cambridgeshire, England); 1834, by inheritance to his nephew Admiral Charles Yorke, 4th Earl of Hardwicke [1799-1873] (Cambridgeshire, England); 1873, by inheritance to his son, Charles Yorke, 5th Earl of Hardwicke [1836-1897] (Cambridgeshire, England); 1891, sold to Thomas Agar-Robartes, 6th Viscount Clifden [1844-1930] (Cambridgeshire, England); 1930, by inheritance to his son, Francis Gerald Agar-Robartes, 7th Viscount Clifden [1883-1966] (Cornwall, England); By 1936, consigned to B.F. Stevens & Brown (28 Little Russell Street, London, England); 1936, purchased by The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, Virginia)