Portrait George II, King of Great Britain (1683-1760)

Portrait of George II, King of England. Born in Hanover, the son of George I is shown here as a chest pattern in the three-quarter profile to the left. He turned his head to the right, the view is directed head-on at the viewer. He wears an artful robe of capes with fur, a chain and hanging out jabot. In addition, the young Elector carries a wig with a crown. The image form is oval, underneath it appears a two-line, Latin inscription. From 1727 until his death, Georg August was King of Great Britain and Ireland, German Elector of Braunschweig-Lüneburg and nominally one of the dukes to Braunschweig and Lüneburg. On the occasion of his coronation Georg Friedrich Händel composed the four “Coronation Anthems” (HWV 258-261). The leaf was made by the scrapist and publisher John Smith after Godfrey Kneller around the time of the coronation of George II. The art collections of the Veste Coburg, the National Portrait Gallery in London and the British Museum in London have other copies of the present paper. Signature: G. Kneller S. R. Imp. Mag. Brit. Baronets Pinx. From Originali J. Smith Fecit. Sold by J. Smith at ye Lyon & Crown in Russell-Street Covent Garden. Caption: Georgius Secundus D.G. Mag. Britanniae Franciae et Hiberniae Rex. & c Brun, et Linnen. Dux S.R.I. Arch Thesau. et Princeps Elector & c Inauguratus Xl die Octo.bris 1727. (delHändel-Haus Halle Foundation)