"Their most sacred Majesties George the III and Queen Charlotte / and his Royal Highness George Prince of Wales, Frederick Bishop of Osnaburg, Prince William Henry, ...and Princess Sophia Augusta" 1770

ATH inscr on plate b. r. "J. Zoffany pinxit 1770"; inscr on plate b. l. "Rd. Earlom sculpsit / London Octr 29th 1770"; insc. b. c. "Their most sacred Majesties George the III and Queen Charlotte / and his Royal Highness George Prince of Wales, Frederick Bishop of Osnaburg, Prince William Henry, Princess Charlotte, Augusta Mattilda, Prince Edward, and Princess Sophia Augusta / London printed for robt Sayer, No 53 in Fleet Street. Publish'd as the Act directs 1st Jany 1771". AFTER ZOFFANY, Johan; (German; 1733-1810) CRE EARLOM, Richard; (English; 1743-1822) PUB SAYER, Robert; (English; 1725-1793/4) NFA assisted purchase. Purchased to supplement the print collection of the founder, William Hunter. As Queen Charlotte's Physician in Extraordinary from 1762, Hunter supervised the birth of all of her children born during his lifetime, and was a regular visitor to the royal household where he would have known Zoffany's painting (Royal Collection RCIN 400501), which was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1771. The King and Queen are presented with their six eldest children in 'Van Dyck' dress. The Royal Family was very popular, but mezzotints such as this would only reach households with a healthy income. Many people would have to make do with a quick glimpse at a public appearance, such as that imagined by Hunter's friend the novelist Smollett, in The Expedition of Humphrey Clinker, published the same year as this print (cat. 100). Smollet's characters visit St James's Palace to see the royal family, and one exclaims: 'Sweet young princes! the sacred pledges of the Protestant line; so spirited, so sensible, so princely' (Smollett, 1771, p. 140).

Collection

Hunterian Items

Inventory Number

2937729

Title

"Their most sacred Majesties George the III and Queen Charlotte / and his Royal Highness George Prince of Wales, Frederick Bishop of Osnaburg, Prince William Henry, ...and Princess Sophia Augusta" 1770

Object Type

PhysicalObject

Measurements

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