King George II
28 of 57 portraits of King George II
© National Portrait Gallery, London
King George II
by Samuel Taylor, after Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt
mezzotint, 1727 or after
8 in. x 5 7/8 in. (203 mm x 149 mm) paper size
Reference Collection
NPG D7908
Artistsback to top
- Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt (1646-1723), Portrait painter. Artist or producer associated with 1689 portraits, Sitter associated with 30 portraits.
- Samuel Taylor (active 1736), Engraver. Artist or producer associated with 2 portraits.
Events of 1727back to top
Current affairs
George I dies on 11 January. George II is proclaimed king; the second Hanoverian on the British throne. Handel composes Zadok the Priest for his coronation which has been sung at every British coronation since.Royal Bank of Scotland is founded by Royal Charter in Edinburgh.
Janet (Jenny) Horne of Loth, Sutherland, becomes the last alleged witch to be executed in Britain when she is burned at the stake in Dornoch, Scotland.
Art and science
Artist Thomas Gainsborough is born in Sudbury, Suffolk in May.Architect William Kent publishes Some Designs of Mr Inigo Jones, including additional designs by himself and his patron Lord Burlington.German composer George Frideric Handel becomes a British subject.
Scientist Sir Isaac Newton dies.
International
Composer Johann Sebastian Bach conducts the first performance of his St Matthew Passion in St Thomas's church, Leipzig.Spain besieges Gibraltar in order to recapture the territory from the British.
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