Joseph Coombs after Sir Thomas Lawrence

His Majesty King William the Fourth

14 x 19 inches

This portrait depicts the king in a parkland setting wearing civic dress, a top hat under one arm and a document in his right hand. The print is based upon an oil done in 1827 when the king was still the Duke of Clarence during the reign of his elder brother George IV. His reign followed the controversial reign of his brother and paved the way for what was to become the defining reign of the C19th; that of his niece, Queen Victoria.

Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) was a prolific artist and draughtsman who succeeded Sir Joshua Reynolds as the most accomplished portrait painter of his generation. His magnificent portraits of royalty, aristocracy and the leading figures of his day were successfully translated into mezzotint further enhancing his reputation and broadening his popularity.