Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales; Caroline Amelia Elizabeth of Brunswick

Sittersback to top

• Caroline Amelia Elizabeth of Brunswick (1768-1821), Queen of George IV. Sitter in 89 portraits.
• Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales (1796-1817), Daughter of George IV. Sitter associated with 48 portraits.

Artistsback to top

• Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815), Engraver. Artist associated with 161 portraits, Sitter in 16 portraits.
• Richard Cosway (1742-1821), Miniature painter. Artist associated with 96 portraits, Sitter in 15 portraits.

This portraitback to top

Conforming to a taste for sentimental portraits of mothers and their children, which celebrated the tenderness of the maternal bond, Richard Cosway presents an idealised view of Princess Caroline holding Charlotte as a curly-haired child. In 1802, Sir Thomas Lawrence would produce a grander version on a similar theme with a slightly older, but equally cherubic, Charlotte handing sheet music to her mother. In reality, from shortly after her birth, Charlotte was segregated from her mother, and the increasingly scandal-ridden Caroline was only allowed to visit her under heavily restricted circumstances.

Portrait setback to top

• Martin Collection

Subject/Themeback to top

• Children