Sir William Beechey, R.A. (Burford, Oxfordshire 1753-1839 London)
These lots have been imported from outside the EU … Read more PROPERTY OF A GENTLEMAN (LOT 127)
Sir William Beechey, R.A. (Burford, Oxfordshire 1753-1839 London)

Portrait of King George III (1738-1820), three-quarter-length, in Field Marshal's uniform, with the Star of the Order of the Garter, with Windsor Castle beyond

Details
Sir William Beechey, R.A. (Burford, Oxfordshire 1753-1839 London)
Portrait of King George III (1738-1820), three-quarter-length, in Field Marshal's uniform, with the Star of the Order of the Garter, with Windsor Castle beyond
oil on canvas
56 ½ x 46 ¾ in. (143.5 x 119 cm.)
Provenance
W.L. Elkins Esq. Philadelphia.
Schmidt Sale; American Art Association, New York, 3 February 1938, lot 67
with Agnew's, London.
Literature
W. Roberts, Sir William Beechey, R.A., London, 1907, facing page 106, illustrated.
O.Millar, The Later Georgian Pictures in the Collection of her Majesty the Queen, London, 1969, I, p. 6, under no. 658.
Special notice
These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction. All sold and unsold lots marked with a filled square in the catalogue that are not cleared from Christie’s by 5:00 pm on the day of the sale, and all sold and unsold lots not cleared from Christie’s by 5:00 pm on the fifth Friday following the sale, will be removed to the warehouse of ‘Cadogan Tate’. Please note that there will be no charge to purchasers who collect their lots within two weeks of this sale.

Lot Essay

The present lot is a reduced autograph version of the full-length portrait at Buckingham Palace, where in the background his horse is held by a groom and in the far distance a troop of cavalry can be seen. According to Roberts, it was understood at the time that the horse was painted by Sawrey Gilpin (1733-1807) (op.cit.p. 70). The portrait was painted for the King together with a portrait of Queen Charlotte, at Windsor, probably in 1799-1800. A studio version of this exact composition can also be found in the National Portrait Gallery, London (NPG 2502). Another full-length version is in the possession of the Marquess of Salisbury at Hatfield House. It was presented by His Majesty to the 1st Marquess in commemoration of his visit to Hatfield on 13 June 1800, at the Grand Review of troops. The background was altered to a view of Hatfield House. A full-length autograph or studio version with Windsor castle in the background was on the art market at Christie's in 1947 and Sotheby's in 1963. (op.cit. Millar)

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