Artwork
George, Prince of Wales
George, Prince of Wales is a print by the Romanticist artist John Raphael Smith. It dates from 1792 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
He wears a tall hat adorned with feathers, a dark jacket featuring gold accents and medals, white pants, and black boots.
The painting depicts a man dressed in military attire, standing beside a horse. He wears a tall hat adorned with feathers, a dark jacket featuring gold accents and medals, white pants, and black boots. The horse is dark brown with a white stripe on its forehead, wearing a bridle and a saddle blanket. The background is a landscape with trees and a cloudy sky.
A notable detail is the man's confident stance, with one hand resting on the horse's neck and the other holding a sword. This pose conveys a sense of authority and strength.
To learn more about the Romanticism movement, which this painting is a part of, explore the works of artists like John Raphael Smith, who created this piece in 1792.
Overview
John Raphael Smith’s 1792 print portrays the future King George IV, then Prince of Wales, in a full‑length equestrian composition. The figure stands beside a dark brown horse, dressed in military uniform with a feathered hat, gold‑trimmed jacket, white breeches and black boots, while holding a sword. The background shows a lightly rendered landscape of trees beneath a cloudy sky, emphasizing the subject’s prominence.
Subject & Meaning
The work presents the Prince in a confident, authoritative pose, one hand resting on the horse’s neck and the other gripping a sword, symbols of martial power and royal duty. By situating him on horseback, the image aligns the prince with the traditions of chivalry and leadership, reinforcing his status as a future sovereign and military patron.
Technique & Style
Executed as a mezzotint, the print employs the medium’s characteristic tonal richness to model the figure’s clothing, the horse’s flesh, and the atmospheric background. Smith’s handling of light and shadow creates a subtle gradation of tones, while fine line work defines details such as medals, the feathered hat and the horse’s bridle, reflecting late‑18th‑century British printmaking conventions.
History & Provenance
John Raphael Smith, a noted British painter and mezzotinter, produced the image during a prolific period of portraiture in the 1790s. The print was likely issued for public distribution, capitalising on the Prince’s popularity. It remains documented in several museum collections, attesting to its circulation among contemporary audiences and its preservation as a record of royal iconography.
Artist & collection
Artist
John Raphael Smith (25 May 1751 – 2 March 1812) was a British painter and mezzotinter. He was the son of the landscape painter Thomas Smith and the father of John Rubens Smith, a painter who emigrated to the United States.
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