LATE 18TH CENTURY

Details

A PAIR OF GEORGE III REVERSE MIRROR-PAINTINGS-ON-GLASS
LATE 18TH CENTURY
Depicting head and shoulder portraits of King George III and Queen Charlotte, he in an embroided red jacket, white ruffled stock, blue Garter sash and Garter star on his left breast, she with a gold diadem and blue-tied choker and necklace, in a gold-thread embroided red dress with an ermine stole, each in their original fluted and leaf-carved giltwood frame, losses to silvering
24¼ x 17½ in. (62 x 44.5 cm.) (2)

Provenance

Maria Venetia James (d. 1948), daughter of George Augustus Frederick Cavendish-Bentinck, M.P. (d. 1891).
David Style, Esq., Wateringbury Place, Kent; Christie's house sale, 31 May-2 June 1978, lot 505.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

The profile portraits depict King George III and Queen Charlotte at the time of their marriage and coronation. The King'’s portrait relates to his 1761 'engagement present' miniature and its variant enamelled miniature medallions executed by Jeremiah Meyer (d. 1789), following his appointment as Enamel Painter to the King and Miniature Painter to the Queen. (J. Roberts, George III and Queen Charlotte, 2004, nos. 23, 441 and 444). The Queen wears some of the celebrated diamonds presented to her at the time of her marriage and featured in her 1762 portrait engraved and published by Thomas Frye (d. 1762) and his pupil William Pether (d. 1821) (ibid., no. 21). Their original 'antique' fluted frames, wreathed in pearls and palms, reflect the 1760s Roman fashion promoted by architects such as Robert Adam (d. 1792).

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