George IV when Prince of Wales
by BEECHEY, Sir William, Oil on canvas, 143 x 113 cm
George IV (1762-1830) was king of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and king of Hanover following the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten years later. Throughout his adult life, George was an important artistic patron, acquiring an impressive collection of art and patronising architects and designers, most notably at Brighton.