An English School Oil on Panel Hatchment of The Royal Arms of George IV c.1830

SOLD
Origin: Unknown
Period: George IV
Provenance: An Unknown Deconsecrated Church in North Yorkshire
Date: c.1830
In Frame:
Height: 55.5”
Width: 55.5”

Beautifully depicted, and of large size nearing five feet across, the royal arms of King George IV (1762-1830), boldly painted in oils on pine to a black ground and inscribed 'G IV R HONI SOIT QUI MAL Y PENSE' and ' DIEU ET MON DROIT', created at the time of his death in the summer of 1830 by church wardens in a now deconsecrated church in northern Yorkshire, and presented in a later frame.

The condition of the panel is completely unrestored and untouched so there is no restoration with no serious flaking to the paint and no splits, chips or cracks to the wood other than a minor ding here and there. The panel has become darkened with age so the colours are toned down and there is bitumen to the surface. The frame is modern and could be changed if so desired.

The custom of painting hatchments started at the end of the seventeenth century and has continued until our time, although new hatchments are very rare indeed. This hatchment was essentially prepared by Church wardens as a tribute to for display in the North Yorkshire church anew old have been painted by a local artist. It is fair to say that funeral hatchments are conventionally diagonal-square in format and they are items of public mourning rather than being associated with the funeral itself, for which the lozenge format remains the norm.

George IV died at Windsor on 26 June 1830. He had ruled as Regent for nine years and King for ten. His father’s ill health had led him to anticipate coming to the throne for most of his adult life, but in the event, he did not become King until 1820 at the age of 57. By the time he succeeded George III, he was already suffering the effects of years of overindulgence.

A quite wonderful work of art that has been in private hands since its removal.
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