Portrait of George II (1683-1760)

DateProbably 1749-1755

Artist John Shackleton fl. 1742 - 1767

MediumOil on canvas

DimensionsUnframed: 93 3/4" X 57 3/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1986-74

DescriptionA portrait of King George II, standing full length in state robes, wearing the collar of the Order of the Garter, holding the sceptre, with the orb and crown on a cushion beside him. His proper left hand rests on his hip, while he grasps the sceptre in his proper right hand. He turns slightly towards the viewer's right, his head and gaze directed there also.

Although unexamined from the back as of this cataloguing, the 5-inch, gilded, Maratta-style frame is assessed as a modern reproduction of ca. 1986, based on file correspondence and examination from the front. See David W. Posnett (Leger Galleries) to CWF, 13 May 1986, and Graham Hood to Posnett of 25 May 1986.Label TextRelatively little is known about John Shackleton, which is odd in view of his service as "Principal Painter in Ordinary" to Kings George II and George III (though, in truth, the continuation of his appointment under the latter resulted from a misunderstanding). Shackleton was an accomplished and even, on occasion, an insightful artist, but he seems to have suffered increasing inhibitions as the rank of his subjects rose. Consequently, his official portraits of George II and of other members of the nobility tend to exhibit a stiff formality largely missing from his likenesses of lesser lights.

Shackleton was sworn into his position on March 7, 1749, in the twenty-second year of George II's reign. His base salary was £200 per year, but for each official portrait of the king he executed, he received 55 pounds, 15 shillings, and 6 pence. Such likenesses were intended for Colonial Governors, Ambassadors, and others.

For information on Princeton University's closely similar Shackleton portrait of George II and its original ca. 1760 frame attributed to René Stone (d. 1773/4), see Baughan and Kusserow ("Bibliography"). After this royal portrait was damaged during the American Revolution, Charles Willson Peale was not only commissioned to execute a portrait of George Washington to replace it. He also was specifically requested to size the new portrait to fit the Stone frame.

Inscription(s)None noted as of 3/17/2004, but the painting should be checked once it is removed from exhibition.ProvenancePurchased at Christie's, London, 18 April 1986, as lot 109. No prior history has been documented to date.