(b. 1713, Edinburgh, d. 1784, Dover)

Prince George Augustus of Mecklenburg-Strelitz c. 1769 Oil on canvas, 127 x 101,6 cm Royal Collection, Windsor

Allan Ramsay was official painter to George III and Queen Charlotte from the date of the accession in 1760, although technically he only succeeded John Shackleton as Principal Painter in Ordinary in 1767. By this date, however, he had already painted the State Portraits for which he is justly famous. Indeed, the success of the State Portraits was such that he was required to paint numerous replicas for most of the rest of his life. Ramsay was born in Edinburgh and his artistic abilities were brought to the attention of George III, when still Prince of Wales, by the 3rd Earl of Bute who served as mentor to the future king. Ramsay's style was influenced by two visits to Italy, the first between 1736 and 1738 in Rome and Naples and the second between 1754 and 1757 in Rome, but the compositions of his State Portraits, and above all the soft pastel colours, bespeak the influence of French painters such as Quentin La Tour, Jean-Baptiste Perroneau and Jean-Marc Nattier. It is significant that in the first instance Ramsay was appointed Principal Painter in preference to Sir Joshua Reynolds. Ramsay, like Gainsborough, established a good rapport with the Royal Family. However, he gave up painting around 1770 and devoted the rest of his life to writing essays and pamphlets on political subjects, becoming a friend of Samuel Johnson, who praised him highly for his literary merits.

Prince George of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1748-85) was the younger brother of Queen Charlotte. The portrait was probably painted when the prince was in London between November 1768 and August 1769. He is shown wearing the uniform of an officer of Cuirassiers, a unit of the 4th Regiment of Austrian-Salzburg Dragoons or 'Serbellonis' of which he was later Colonel from 1778 to 1786. He attained the rank of Major-General in the Austrian army.

The portrait, which was presumably painted for Queen Charlotte, is a late work by Ramsay characterised by looser brushwork combined with the gentle colouring associated with the artist. There is a certain firmness in the drawing which attests to Ramsay's skill as a draughtsman, a facility apparent in his numerous drawings (Edinburgh, National Gallery of Scotland). The pale transparent flesh tones were the result of applying grey-green strokes over a red underpainting, while in the background the landscape appears to be veiled in mist. It is a romantic portrait with a mood of quiet heroism. The evenness of the paint, the muted light, the silvery tone, the attention to detail, and the quite outstanding rendering of different textures create a feeling of calm that is in contrast with Prince George's love of soldiering. The head and shoulders have been painted on a separate piece of canvas that has been set into a larger piece, a practice much favoured by the artist.

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Author: RAMSAY, Allan Title: Prince George Augustus of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Time-line: 1751-1800 School: English Form: painting