Artheon LogoArtheon

George I

John Smith, 1652 - 1742

1715

George I by John Smith, 1652 - 1742

Medium

Print

Classification

Print

Department

Smithsonian Collection

Museum

Smithsonian American Art Museum

Credit

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

Accession Number

S/NPG.67.39

Tags

Fur trimRoyal collarGeorge I, King of England: MaleEnglandPortrait

Art Historical Context

Behold *George I*, a striking 1715 print by the renowned English engraver John Smith (1652–1742). Capturing the newly crowned King of Great Britain and Ireland just a year into his reign, this portrait depicts George in regal splendor, adorned with a fur-trimmed royal collar that symbolizes his Hanoverian authority and break from Stuart traditions. Housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum's National Portrait Gallery collection, it exemplifies early 18th-century portraiture's role in shaping public identity. Smith, a master of mezzotint—a revolutionary printing technique he helped popular...

    Send Feedback