William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland

This portraitback to top

Jervas, according to Vertue, 1728, was 'imployd. by the Queen to paint the Picture of Prince William' which proved 'sucesfull'. [1] His own engraving of the type is undated but appears under that year in his manuscript list of engravings, collection W. S. Lewis, Farmington, Connecticut. A double portrait of mother and son, the latter of the same type, has been in the Royal Collection since at least 1816 (Sir Oliver Millar, The Tudor Stuart and Early Georgian Pictures in the collection of Her Majesty The Queen, 1963, 500). A single version is at Burghley and another was formerly at Woburn, Christie's, 19 January 1951, lot 135. NPG 802 is of fair quality and could be the first version of the type. It was the success of this portrait, according to Vertue, that led to Jervas receiving further royal commissions. The original has not been identified.

Footnotesback to top

1) G. Vertue, Vertue Note Books (edited by The Earl of Ilchester), Walpole Society, vols XVIll-XXIX, 1930-55, III, p 17.

Physical descriptionback to top

Dark blue eyes, mid-brown hair, or wig, falling to shoulders, plump youthful face; red robes of state and collar of the Bath; [1] in an interior with dark green drapery looped up over a recess, right.

1) In 1725, on the revival of the order, the Prince, then aged four, was elected a Companion and duly installed.

Conservationback to top

Paint rather thin in the right shoulder; lined 1895.

Provenanceback to top

Given 1888, with the 5th Duke of Leeds (NPG 801), by the Earl of Chichester.

Reproductionsback to top

Engraved by Vertue, in reverse, 1728, head and shoulders only.


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.

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