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King George IV

(1762-1830), Regent 1811-19; Reigned 1820-30

Regency Portraits Catalogue Entry

Sitter associated with 274 portraits
George, Prince of Wales was given no official duties by his father King George III. Jockeying for power, he sought to undermine the King by siding with the Whig opposition led by Charles James Fox. When the King went temporarily insane in 1788 William Pitt, the Tory Prime Minister, proposed a restricted Regency to protect the King's interests. The King's recovery three months later ended the 'Regency Crisis'. The Regency Bill was revived during the King's final illness. George was sworn Regent in 1811 and crowned King in 1820. Vain, self-indulgent and debauched he was, however, a man of exceptional taste and style who is best remembered for his magnificent patronage of the arts.

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'The fall of Phaeton' (King George IV; Maria Anne Fitzherbert (née Smythe)), by James Gillray, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D12997

'The fall of Phaeton' (King George IV; Maria Anne Fitzherbert (née Smythe))

by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 1 July 1788
NPG D12997

King George IV, by John Raphael Smith, after  Thomas Gainsborough - NPG D10984

King George IV

by John Raphael Smith, after Thomas Gainsborough
mezzotint, published 1789 (1782)
NPG D10984

'The comet', by James Sayers, published by  Thomas Cornell - NPG D12251

'The comet'

by James Sayers, published by Thomas Cornell
etching and aquatint, published 18 February 1789
NPG D12251

'Barataria', by James Sayers, published by  Thomas Cornell - NPG D12253

'Barataria'

by James Sayers, published by Thomas Cornell
etching, published 11 March 1789
NPG D12253

'Neddy's black box' (King George IV; King Charles I (head of); Edmund Burke; Richard Brinsley Sheridan), by Thomas Rowlandson, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D12397

'Neddy's black box' (King George IV; King Charles I (head of); Edmund Burke; Richard Brinsley Sheridan)

by Thomas Rowlandson, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 30 January 1789
NPG D12397

'Brunswick triumphant! or - the battle of the blood's, - pure, and contaminated', by James Gillray, published by  James Aitken - NPG D12400

'Brunswick triumphant! or - the battle of the blood's, - pure, and contaminated'

by James Gillray, published by James Aitken
hand-coloured etching, published 23 May 1789
NPG D12400

'Bandelures' (King George IV; Maria Anne Fitzherbert (née Smythe); Richard Brinsley Sheridan), by James Gillray, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D12412

'Bandelures' (King George IV; Maria Anne Fitzherbert (née Smythe); Richard Brinsley Sheridan)

by James Gillray, published by Samuel William Fores
etching and stipple, published 28 February 1791
NPG D12412

'Les trois magots', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12429

'Les trois magots'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 November 1791
NPG D12429

'A voluptuary under the horrors of digestion' (King George IV), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D33359

'A voluptuary under the horrors of digestion' (King George IV)

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured stipple, published 2 July 1792
NPG D33359

King George IV ('A voluptuary under the horrors of digestion'), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12460

King George IV ('A voluptuary under the horrors of digestion')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured stipple, published 2 July 1792
NPG D12460

'Modern hospitality, - or - a friendly party in high life', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12447

'Modern hospitality, - or - a friendly party in high life'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 31 March 1792
NPG D12447

'Vices overlook'd in the new proclamation', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12456

'Vices overlook'd in the new proclamation'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 24 May 1792
NPG D12456

'The visit to Piccadilly; - or - a Prussian reception', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12462

'The visit to Piccadilly; - or - a Prussian reception'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 12 July 1792
NPG D12462

King George IV, by Francis Haward, after  Sir Joshua Reynolds - NPG D10980

King George IV

by Francis Haward, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
stipple engraving, published 1793 (1783)
NPG D10980

King George IV, by Francis Haward, after  Sir Joshua Reynolds - NPG D10981

King George IV

by Francis Haward, after Sir Joshua Reynolds
etching, published 1793 (1783)
NPG D10981

King George IV, by Samuel William Reynolds, published by  John Brydon, after  Simon de Koster - NPG D33330

King George IV

by Samuel William Reynolds, published by John Brydon, after Simon de Koster
mezzotint, published 1 May 1794
NPG D33330

King George IV, by Jean Condé, published by  Pierre Condé, after  Richard Cosway - NPG D14900

King George IV

by Jean Condé, published by Pierre Condé, after Richard Cosway
stipple engraving, published 1 December 1794
NPG D14900

'The lover's dream', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12515

'The lover's dream'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 24 January 1795
NPG D12515

'John Bull ground down', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12527

'John Bull ground down'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 June 1795
NPG D12527

'Presages of the millenium', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12528

'Presages of the millenium'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, engraving and aquatint, published 4 June 1795
NPG D12528

'The royal bull-fight', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12548

'The royal bull-fight'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 21 November 1795
NPG D12548

King George IV, by Jean Condé, after  Richard Cosway - NPG D13730

King George IV

by Jean Condé, after Richard Cosway
stipple engraving, published 1795
NPG D13730

King George IV, published by John Fairburn - NPG D19819

King George IV

published by John Fairburn
mezzotint, published 24 February 1795
NPG D19819

'Promis'd horrors of the French invasion, - or - forcible reasons for negotiating a regicide peace', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12579

'Promis'd horrors of the French invasion, - or - forcible reasons for negotiating a regicide peace'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching and aquatint, published 20 October 1796
NPG D12579

'The presentation - or - the wise men's offering', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12553

'The presentation - or - the wise men's offering'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 9 January 1796
NPG D12553

King George IV ('Hint to modern sculptors, as an ornament to a future square'), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12570

King George IV ('Hint to modern sculptors, as an ornament to a future square')

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured stipple engraving, published 3 May 1796
NPG D12570

'The Jersey smuggler detected; - or - good cause for (separation) discontent', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D13023

'The Jersey smuggler detected; - or - good cause for (separation) discontent'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 24 May 1796
NPG D13023

'The grand-signor retiring', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D13024

'The grand-signor retiring'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 25 May 1796
NPG D13024

'Fashionable-jockeyship', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D13025

'Fashionable-jockeyship'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 1 June 1796
NPG D13025

'The bridal night', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12613

'The bridal night'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, engraving and aquatint, published 18 May 1797
NPG D12613

'The wedding night', by Isaac Cruikshank, published by  Samuel William Fores - NPG D15555

'The wedding night'

by Isaac Cruikshank, published by Samuel William Fores
hand-coloured etching, published 20 May 1797
NPG D15555

King George IV; Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, by Michael Sloane, published by  Luigi Schiavonetti, after  Richard Cosway - NPG D20038

King George IV; Princess Caroline of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

by Michael Sloane, published by Luigi Schiavonetti, after Richard Cosway
stipple engraving, published 12 April 1797
NPG D20038

'Duke William's ghost' (King George IV; William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland), by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D13030

'Duke William's ghost' (King George IV; William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland)

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured soft-ground etching, published 7 May 1799
NPG D13030

'The Union Club', by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12754

'The Union Club'

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured etching, published 21 January 1801
NPG D12754

King George IV, by James Gillray, published by  Hannah Humphrey - NPG D12783

King George IV

by James Gillray, published by Hannah Humphrey
hand-coloured stipple engraving, published 10 March 1802
NPG D12783

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