Frederica, Princess Royal of Prussia, shortly to be Duchess of York, presented to King George III
Richard Livesay (1750 – Southsea 1826)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1791
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
959 x 1257 mm (37 3/4 x 49 1/2 in)
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Upton House, Warwickshire
NT 446685
Caption
Frederica was the eldest daughter of Frederick William II, King of Prussia. Her marriage to the Duke of York, George III’s second son, took place on 29 September 1791. The scene is set in an entrance hall, with the King and Queen standing in the centre. The Duke of York, sponsoring the introduction, is seen advancing from the right. The King is surrounded by the Princesses, and to the right are shown the Prince of Wales (next to the Queen) and the Duke of Clarence. An inscription on the reverse suggests that the picture may have belonged to a series, which may not have been painted entirely by Livesay. There is a painting of the marriage of the Duke and Princess by Henry Singleton, of exactly the same size, in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Livesay, who assisted Benjamin West, moved to Windsor in 1790, when he became drawing master to the Royal Family
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, Frederica, Princess Royal of Prussia, shortly to be Duchess of York, presented to King George III by Richard Livesay (1753 - Southsea 1826), 1791. Twelve full-length portraits. Frederica, eldest daughter of Frederick William II, King of Prussia, is being presented by Queen Charlotte to George III, on the occasion of her marriage to Frederick, Duke of York. The event takes place on a terrace, with the King and Queen standing in the centre, the latter holding by the hand the young princess who curtsies before the King; behind, the Prince of Wales, and right, the Duke of Clarence; the Duke of York advancing from the right is sponsoring the introduction. On the left behind the King, are the Princess Royal and Princesses Augusta, Elizabeth, Mary, Sophia and Amelia.
Provenance
Included in the Fuller Maitland sale (Christie’s, 14 July 1922, lot 127, as by Livesay), is referred back in the auctioneer’s copy of the catalogue to an anonymous sale (‘A Gentleman in the North’) at Christie’s, 17 Feb. 1849, lot 94, when it was catalogued as by Copley and bought by Daniel. However, a picture exactly answering the description of No.49 (size not given) appeared in an even earlier anonymous sale at Christie's, 23 June 1838, lot 119 (buyer's name not recorded). It was catalogued as by West and Livesay, with the information that it had been painted for George III and came from the collection of Queen Charlotte. Whether or not this was the present picture, there is no evidence, according to Oliver Millar, that it was ever in the Royal Collection. In 1922 UPT/P/49 was bought by Levy; it was acquired by Lord Bearsted from Spink & Son in Nov.1927 for £700.
Credit line
Upton House, The Bearsted Collection (National Trust)
Makers and roles
Richard Livesay (1750 – Southsea 1826), publisher