2014 marks the three-hundredth anniversary of the succession of the House of Hanover to the British throne. In celebration of this historic milestone, The First Georgians explores the rich artistic patronage of the early Hanoverian period. Georges I and II, along with Queen Caroline and Frederick, Prince of Wales, were all great patrons of the arts and together they amassed a broad and diverse collection of works. From sculptures, paintings, and miniatures to fascinating examples of the applied arts, including maps, crowns, books, and clocks, their collections reflect the spirit of the early Georgian era.
This catalog showcases three hundred full-color photographs of the finest works from among the collection, many of which have never before been published or made available for public display. Produced in Germany, France, and Britain during one of the most dramatic periods of change across all aspects of political, intellectual, and cultural life, the works reflect changing views of science, politics, and art throughout the early to mid-eighteenth century―the period when modern Britain was coming into being.
Despite the depth of this collection and its cultural importance, artistic production during the early Hanoverian period has been less well-documented than during the late Hanoverian period. With this volume, Desmond Shawe-Taylor directs our attention to this relatively neglected period.
Rufus Bird is surveyor of the Queen’s Works of Art at Royal Collection Trust.
Wolf Burchard is Associate Curator at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he oversaw the renovation of the museum’s galleries for British art and design (2020) and curated Inspiring
Walt Disney: The Animation of French Decorative Arts (2021). Prior to joining The Met, he was Furniture Research Curator at the National Trust (2015-18) and Curatorial Assistant at the Royal Collection (2009-14), where he co-curated
The First Georgians: Art & Monarchy, 1714-1760 at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace (2014).
Kate Heard is senior curator of prints and drawings at Royal Collection Trust. Her previous books include
The First Georgians: Art & Monarchy 1714–1760,
Maria Merian’s Butterflies, and
High Spirits: The Comic Art of Thomas Rowlandson.Kathryn Jones is senior curator of decorative arts at Royal Collection Trust. Her previous books include
The First Georgians: Art & Monarchy 1714-1760,
European Silver in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, and
For the Royal Table: Dining at the Palace.
Desmond Shawe-Taylor is Surveyor of The Queen’s Pictures, Royal Collection Trust. His previous publications include Masters of the Everyday, The First Georgians, Dutch Landscapes, and The Conversation Piece.
