The Apotheosis of Princess Charlotte Augusta, Princess of Wales (1796-1817)
Henry Howard, RA (London 1769 – Oxford 1847)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1818 (exh at BI)
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
915 x 710 mm
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Petworth House and Park, West Sussex
NT 486162
Caption
Princess Charlotte was the only child of George IV (1762-1830) and Caroline of Brunswick (1768-1821), married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld in 1816. She died in childbirth the following year and the national grief caused by her death may have encouraged Howard to paint this subject. The princess is here shown holding her still-born baby, rising to the sky, attended by two angels.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, The Apotheosis of Princess Charlotte Augusta, Princess of Wales (1796-1817) by Henry Howard RA (London 1769 – Oxford 1847), 1818. The princess, holding her still-born baby, rises to the sky attended by two angels. Below is a lady with upraised hands and another is prostrate. Princess Charlotte (1796-1817), only child of George IV (1762-1830) and Caroline of Brunswick (1768-1821), married Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld in 1816. She died in childbirth the following year and the national grief caused by her death may encouraged the artist to paint this subject.
Provenance
In the collection of the 3rd Earl of Egremont (1751-1837) by 1835. Thence by descent, until the death in 1952 of the 3rd Lord Leconfield, who had given Petworth to the National Trust in 1947, and whose nephew and heir, John Wyndham, 6th Lord Leconfield and 1st Lord Egremont (1920-72) arranged for the acceptance of the major portion of the collections at Petworth in lieu of death duties (the first ever such arrangement) in 1956 by H.M.Treasury.
Credit line
Petworth, The Egremont Collection (National Trust)
Makers and roles
Henry Howard, RA (London 1769 – Oxford 1847), artist