Name/Title
Coronation Portrait of King George V (1865-1936)Entry/Object ID
2001.01.08Description
Print
Aquatint photogravure (1913) after 1911-1912 oil painting by Sir Samuel Luke Fildes.
This is a reproduction of the official Coronation Portrait of King George V. It is a full-length portrait of the monarch, standing in naval uniform, with robes of state including decorations, sword, etc. St. Edward's Crown is set on a cushioned table to his left and there is a backdrop of dramatic curtains. It is a regal power statement, although presenting the king as somewhat more reserved than his ancestors in earlier state portraits.Artwork Details
Medium
Aquatint photogravure on paperSubject Place
Region
Western EuropeContinent
EuropeContext
Numerous copies were made of this official portrait of the King for mass distribution to embassies, institutions, government offices, clubs, and more throughout the British Empire. George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from May 6, 1910 until his death in 1936, with his coronation occurring on June 22, 1911. Born during the reign of his grandmother Queen Victoria, George was third in the line of succession.
_________________________
St. Edward's Crown is considered the centrepiece of the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom. This collection of royal ceremonial objects includes the coronation regalia and vestments worn by British monarchs and is kept in the Tower of London.
Named after Saint Edward the Confessor, versions of it have been used to crown English and British monarchs since the 13th century. The original crown was melted down during the English Civil War, and its replacement was made for Charles II in 1661. After 1689, due to its weight (2.23 kg) the crown was not used to crown any monarch for over 200 years. However, the tradition was revived by George V and has continued to this day. St. Edward's Crown is widely used as a U.K. heraldic emblem and is incorporated into many emblems and insignia.Made/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Sir Samuel Luke Fildes, RA, KCVO (1843-1927)Role
PainterArtist
UnknownRole
PrintmakerDate made
1913Time Period
20th CenturyNotes
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Sir Samuel Luke Fildes was a recognized British painter and illustrator, the grandson of political activist Mary Fildes. Born in Liverpool, he studied at the Warrington School of Art and later at the South Kensington and Royal Academy Schools becoming influenced by the work of Frederick Walker, leader of the social realist movement in Britain. Fildes shared his grandmother's social concerns, joining the staff of “The Graphic” newspaper, an illustrated weekly founded and edited by the social reformer, William Luson Thomas. Fildes shared Thomas' belief in the power of visual images to change public opinion on injustice.
Fildes' illustrations were in a black-and-white social realist style, focusing on images depicting the destitute of London. Fildes' work also appeared in other mass-circulation periodicals such as “Sunday Magazine” and “The Gentleman's Magazine”. He also illustrated a number of books such as Dickens' “Edwin Drood” and Thackeray's “Catherine”. Fildes became a popular artist and by 1870 he turned his full attention to oil painting, shifting in the 1880s to the lucrative field of portraiture. By 1900, Fildes was acknowledged to be one of the best-paid portrait artists in Britain, having painted such notables as Sir Cecil Rhodes and several members of the royal family including those commemorating the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. However, for the new National Gallery of Art, Fildes produced “The Doctor”, inspired by the death of his own first son, Philip. The social realist work depicts a pensive physician watching a gravely ill child, and was celebrated by the critics, later becoming one of the best-selling engravings of the period. The painting was commissioned by Sir Henry Tate, merchant and philanthropist, noted for establishing the The National Gallery of British Art (now Tate Britain) in London.Inscription/Signature/Marks
Type
InscriptionLocation
According to the U.K. Royal Collection Trust copy (not visible on UCBC copy):
Lower left: Signed by the artist
Lower centre: Signed and dated by the sitter
Published January 30th, 1913 by Thos. Agnew 43 Old Bond Street LondonDimensions
Dimension Description
Visible imageHeight
96.5 cmWidth
62.4 cmAcquisition
Acquisition Method
Legacy collection - detail unknown
