King George III. Stipple engraving, 1820.
- Date:
- March 1820
- Reference:
- 2005342i
- Pictures
About this work
Description
King George III in advanced age, sitting on his throne surmounted by the crown, wearing the Garter star, facing right. His hair is of shoulder-length and he is wearing a hat. Below the portrait of the King is an engraving of the Holy Bible, a chalice and the Cross, with engraved lettering "I hope the time will come when every poor child in my dominions will be able to read the Bible"
Publication/Creation
London (Holborn) : Published March 1820 for the proprietor and sold by Messrs Cribb & Son. ; [London] (No 1 Edward Street, Hampstead Road.) : R. Cooper, March 1820.
Physical description
1 print : stipple and line engraving ; sheet 36 x 26.2 cm
Lettering
His late most excellent Majesty King George the Third. From an original drawing taken at the age of 82 in the 60th year of his reign.
The statement "I hope the time will come when every poor child in my dominions will be able to read the Bible" is an adaptation of words spoken by the King in 1805 to Joseph Lancaster, the founder of the Borough Road School, Southwark. 'George III's words to Lancaster, which were displayed in large letters in the schoolroom at Borough Road [were]: "It is my wish that every poor child in my dominions is taught to read the Holy Scriptures."' Lancaster was an educational reformer and "one of the foremost pioneers of mass schooling and effective teacher training in the early industrial era" (Oxford dictionary of national biography, s.v. Lancaster)
References note
Freeman O'Donoghue, Catalogue of engraved British portraits: preserved in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum, London 1908-1925, vol. 2, p. 308, no. 142
Reference
Wellcome Collection 2005342i
Type/Technique
Languages
Where to find it
Location Status Access Closed stores