Early Georgian Portraits Catalogue
Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Princess of Wales (1719-1772), Mother of George III
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
Nearly all the principal types, often companions to portraits of her husband or children, are represented in the Royal Collection, though not all have been there since painted. A portrait by F. Huysman, presumably painted in Germany before her wedding, is now known only by J. Johnson's engraving [NPG D10942] lettered F. Huÿsman, Saxa, pinxt. Versions of the popular type by Charles Philips include NPG 2093 and a similar whole length, attributed to Hogarth, in the Royal Collection (Sir Oliver Millar, The Tudor Stuart and Early Georgian Pictures in the collection of Her Majesty The Queen, 1963, 563). [1] Augusta was painted with members of her family and household by Jean Baptiste Vanloo (Sir Oliver Millar, The Tudor Stuart and Early Georgian Pictures in the collection of Her Majesty The Queen, 1963, 538, pl.191), signed and dated 173[9] and again, whole length, with a companion portrait of her husband, both signed and dated 1742 (Sir Oliver Millar, The Tudor Stuart and Early Georgian Pictures in the collection of Her Majesty The Queen, 1963, 536, 537; pls 187, 188). Vertue's reference, 1738, to a sitting which apparently also included the Prince probably refers to the family group. [2] The single portrait was engraved by B. Baron, [NPG D33036] 1756. A half length is at Ickworth (167) and a copy known as 'Sophia of Brunswick' is at Goodwood. A portrait, pair with her husband, both sent to Richard Nash at Bath, 1740, is based on the whole length by Philips. [3] Another whole length at Cliveden, somewhat similar to the Vanloo group, is by Hudson, the type engraved half length, [NPG D9122] 1751, by Faber junior as painted in 1750 (J. Chaloner Smith, British Mezzotinto Portraits, 1878-83, 17). Vertue records a half length of 1742 by Thomas Gibson, at Cliveden. [4] A group with her children by the Swiss artist Barthelemy du Pan (1712-63), Royal Collection (Sir Oliver Millar, The Tudor Stuart and Early Georgian Pictures in the collection of Her Majesty The Queen, 1963, 572, pl.213), is signed and dated 1746, and the family group by George Knapton (Sir Oliver Millar, The Tudor Stuart and Early Georgian Pictures in the collection of Her Majesty The Queen, 1963, 573), signed and dated 1751, was painted after her husband's death on 20 March that year. An undated portrait previously known as Maria Clementina Sobieska, sold Lyon and Turnbull, Edinburgh, 4 February 1950, shows her with the coronet of Princess of Wales and holding a miniature of her husband. A pastel by the Swiss artist Jean Etienne Liotard (1702-89) (Sir Oliver Millar, The Tudor Stuart and Early Georgian Pictures in the collection of Her Majesty The Queen, 1963, 578), one of a set of the family, was painted from a sitting or sittings circa 14 February 1754.
Of several portraits by Ramsay the first type dated by Smart c.1760, is a whole length. [5] A sketch in black and white chalk is at Mountstuart, collection Marquess of Bute; [6] another sketch is in the Scottish National Gallery (D 2046). The second type, in the Brunswick collection, at one time believed to represent her daughter Augusta who married Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, relates more probably to Ramsay's receipt of 1769 for a portrait of her mother: [7] 'Received from her Royal Highness the Princess Dowager of Wales fifty Guineas being in full for a half length picture of her Royal Highness sent to Brunswick by me.' An earlier portrait, by an unknown artist, in the Ulster Museum, formerly in the collection of Sir Cecil Stafford King-Harman, may be of her, [8] as also another small whole length seen at the NPG in 1915, then collection Mrs Spencer Thomson, Edinburgh. [9] A crude life-size head and shoulders with the same face mask, reversed, was at Christie's, 19 July 1963, lot 50, pair with her husband, there catalogued as George II. An able head and shoulders in the Museo de la Fundación Lazaro Galdiano, Madrid, of unknown provenance, appears to represent her a little later than this. Her portrait in wax by Gosset, noted by Vertue in 1752, is now lost. [10]
1) O. Millar, 'Notes on the Royal Collection ... ', Burlington Magazine, CIII, 1961, pp 383-4, reproduced fig.12.
2) G. Vertue, Vertue Note Books (edited by The Earl of Ilchester), Walpole Society, vols XVIll-XXIX, 1930-55, III, p 84.
3) Sir Oliver Millar, The Tudor Stuart and Early Georgian Pictures in the collection of Her Majesty The Queen, 1963, p 29, note 85, as by Seeman; F. G. Farwell, A Description of the Portraits and Busts in the Guildhall, Bath, 1907 p 32, reproduced opposite pp 12, 18, as by Davison.
4) G. Vertue, Vertue Note Books (edited by The Earl of Ilchester), Walpole Society, vols XVIll-XXIX, 1930-55, III, p 112.
5) A. Smart, The Life and Art of Allan Ramsay, 1952, p 125; exhibited 'Kings & Queens of England', Liverpool, 1953 (34), a half length.
6) Exhibited 'Paintings and Drawings by Allan Ramsay', Kenwood, 1958 (68).
7) As first suggested by C. K. Adams.
8) Exhibited 'Kings & Queens', RA, 1953 (237), as by Ramsay. The portrait of Frederick from the King-Harman collection is now attributed to B. du Pan.
9) This, or an identical portrait, was brought to the NPG for inspection, 1965.
10) G. Vertue, Vertue Note Books (edited by The Earl of Ilchester), Walpole Society, vols XVIll-XXIX, 1930-55, III, p 160.
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1977, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.
Of several portraits by Ramsay the first type dated by Smart c.1760, is a whole length. [5] A sketch in black and white chalk is at Mountstuart, collection Marquess of Bute; [6] another sketch is in the Scottish National Gallery (D 2046). The second type, in the Brunswick collection, at one time believed to represent her daughter Augusta who married Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, relates more probably to Ramsay's receipt of 1769 for a portrait of her mother: [7] 'Received from her Royal Highness the Princess Dowager of Wales fifty Guineas being in full for a half length picture of her Royal Highness sent to Brunswick by me.' An earlier portrait, by an unknown artist, in the Ulster Museum, formerly in the collection of Sir Cecil Stafford King-Harman, may be of her, [8] as also another small whole length seen at the NPG in 1915, then collection Mrs Spencer Thomson, Edinburgh. [9] A crude life-size head and shoulders with the same face mask, reversed, was at Christie's, 19 July 1963, lot 50, pair with her husband, there catalogued as George II. An able head and shoulders in the Museo de la Fundación Lazaro Galdiano, Madrid, of unknown provenance, appears to represent her a little later than this. Her portrait in wax by Gosset, noted by Vertue in 1752, is now lost. [10]
1) O. Millar, 'Notes on the Royal Collection ... ', Burlington Magazine, CIII, 1961, pp 383-4, reproduced fig.12.
2) G. Vertue, Vertue Note Books (edited by The Earl of Ilchester), Walpole Society, vols XVIll-XXIX, 1930-55, III, p 84.
3) Sir Oliver Millar, The Tudor Stuart and Early Georgian Pictures in the collection of Her Majesty The Queen, 1963, p 29, note 85, as by Seeman; F. G. Farwell, A Description of the Portraits and Busts in the Guildhall, Bath, 1907 p 32, reproduced opposite pp 12, 18, as by Davison.
4) G. Vertue, Vertue Note Books (edited by The Earl of Ilchester), Walpole Society, vols XVIll-XXIX, 1930-55, III, p 112.
5) A. Smart, The Life and Art of Allan Ramsay, 1952, p 125; exhibited 'Kings & Queens of England', Liverpool, 1953 (34), a half length.
6) Exhibited 'Paintings and Drawings by Allan Ramsay', Kenwood, 1958 (68).
7) As first suggested by C. K. Adams.
8) Exhibited 'Kings & Queens', RA, 1953 (237), as by Ramsay. The portrait of Frederick from the King-Harman collection is now attributed to B. du Pan.
9) This, or an identical portrait, was brought to the NPG for inspection, 1965.
10) G. Vertue, Vertue Note Books (edited by The Earl of Ilchester), Walpole Society, vols XVIll-XXIX, 1930-55, III, p 160.
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1977, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.