Top of Page
Front Door
Carlton House
Royal Cottage
Site Map
The Prince Regent's love of fine objects included paintings. He hung his collection of paintings on the walls of the opulent Carlton House. The "Shipbuilder and his Wife", purchased at auction in 1811 for 5,000 guineas, can be seen hanging on the wall of the Blue Velvet Room in the 1818 watercolor by Charles Wild, engraved by Daniel Havell for the hand colored aquatint plate book The History of the Royal Residences by William Henry Pyne. By 1816, the suite of state rooms at Carlton House was adorned with 136 paintings. 67 more paintings were in the Prince's bedroom suite. His other 250 paintings were in storage.
In 1814, the Prince Regent acquired 86 Dutch and Flemish paintings from the heir of the banker, Sir Francis Baring. This brought the total Dutch and Flemish Masters works in his collection to over 200. The Prince Regent then sold 77 of his least favorite paintings, mostly still lifes, anonymously at Christie's on June 29, 1814.
The Prince also commissioned and collected works by British portrait painters Thomas Gainsborough, Sir Joshua Reynolds, William Beechery (1753-1839), John Hoppner, and Sir Thomas Lawrence. Lawrence's energetic style and vivid colors particularly suited George the IV's flamboyant style. The Scottish artist David Wilkie's work of 1818, "Penny Wedding," reminded the Prince Regent of his Dutch paintings. He became Wilkie's patron. George IV's passion for animals led him to patronize sporting artists Sawrey Gilpin, George Garrad, Benjamin Marshall, James Ward (1769-1859), and George Stubbs.
In 1822, King George IV had his favorite paintings moved from Carlton House to his new favorite residence the Cottage in Windsor Park.
Lord Yarmouth (1777-1842) (later the 3rd Marquess of Hertford) , Sir Charles Long (1760-1838 )(later 1st Baron Farnborough), Walsh Porter, and Sir Thomas Lawrence all acted as advisors to the Prince of Wales, later George IV, on paintings. These men were all influential and informed collectors of art in their own right. Lord Yarmouth served as the Prince Regent's agent at art sales during the period 1810 to 1819.
| Top of Page |
Front Door |
Carlton House |
Royal Cottage |
Site Map |
© S.W. This site last updated March 2003 by webmaster