The patronage of George III and Queen Charlotte.

George III is generally remembered for two things: being the king of England when the American colonies fought for and won independence, and his lengthy bouts of mental illness. There was, however, much more to his sixty-year reign, and these aspects are examined in an exhibition in the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace in London. Entitled George III and Queen Charlotte: Patronage, Collecting and Court Taste, the exhibition in on view until January 9, 2005.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

George was twenty-two when he became king in 1760, and his interests spanned the arts, sciences, and manufacturing. He and his wife, Queen Charlotte, were active collectors and patrons in many spheres. The king was particularly interested in architecture, which he was taught by Sir William Chambers, and in clockmaking, to which he contributed by participating in the design of a number of important timepieces. Among the painters who were commissioned to depict the royal couple and their fifteen children were Allan Ramsay. Thomas Gainsborough, and Johann Zoffany. The American painter Benjamin West was commissioned by the king to paint a number of history paintings.

Two ...