Lot 34

The miniature has not been examined out of its glazed frame but viewed through the glass under natural and UV light and under magnification, it appears to be in very good, well-preserved condition; likewise, the gold frame and its back. The stones are intact and secure, with occasional slight chips (in addition to natural flaws and inclusions).


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Possibly, Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767–1820)

Richard Cosway met George, Prince of Wales, later King George IV (1762–1830), in 1780, and was to enjoy his patronage for the next three decades, painting numerous portraits of George in this period and being appointed around 1786 'Miniaturist to the Prince of Wales'.

From comparison with other portraits of the Prince, the present portrait can be dated to the 1790s.

The fact that the sitter in this portrait is clearly not Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn (1767–1820), but his older brother, George, suggests the intriguing possibility that, rather than being an identification of the sitter, the apparently original inscription to the reverse records this miniature as being in Edward's collection.

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