George IV as Prince of Wales
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall (oval): 76 x 63 cm (29 15/16 x 24 13/16 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CAB
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Andrew W. Mellon Collection
Accession Number
1937.1.98
Art Historical Context
Gainsborough Dupont's *George IV as Prince of* (1781) captures the young royal heir in an elegant oval portrait, a format often favored for its intimate, jewel-like quality in 18th-century British painting. Painted in oil on canvas, this medium allowed Dupont—nephew and prized pupil of the renowned Thomas Gainsborough—to achieve the luminous skin tones and fluid drapery characteristic of the English Rococo style. Measuring 76 x 63 cm, the work exemplifies the period's emphasis on aristocratic portraiture, blending formality with a touch of informality to flatter the sitter. At just 19 years o...