King William IV (1765-1837) Reigned 1830-1837

Location

Country: Gibraltar
City: Gibraltar
Place: Governor's Residence, The Convent

Martin Archer Shee, portrait painter and writer, was born in Dublin, the son of a merchant. After studying in his native city in the early 1780s, he moved to London in 1788 and entered the Royal Academy schools in 1790. Ten years later he was made a Royal Academician. In 1830, Shee was elected President of the Royal Academy, succeeding Sir Thomas Lawrence, and was knighted in the same year. Shee died in Brighton at the age of 80.
Charles Turner was born in Woodstock, Oxfordshire; the son of an excise officer. At a young age he moved to London, where he was apprenticed to engraver John Jones and studied at the Royal Academy schools. He later produced work in mezzotint, aquatint and stipple for publishers in London and Scotland. He also began publishing his own prints in 1796. In 1812 he was appointed Engraver-in-Ordinary to George III. He was elected an associate of the Royal Academy in 1828. Throughout his career he is thought to have produced 638 portrait engravings and over 300 subject engravings. These were generally made after works by contemporary artists, such as Raeburn, Lawrence and J. M. W. Turner, with whom the engraver enjoyed a long standing friendship.

People

William IV (1765 - 1837)

Places

Subjects

topography, royal portrait, male portrait, 19th century costume, crown, sword, fortification, archway, curtain, table (as Subject)

Materials & Techniques

mezzotint

Artist

Sir Martin Archer Shee (1769 - 1850)
Charles Turner (1774 - 1857)

Title

King William IV (1765-1837) Reigned 1830-1837

Date

1 January 1836

Medium

Mezzotint

Acquisition

Convent, Gibraltar (Governor's Residence) collection.

Provenance

Presented to the Convent, Gibraltar, by Lt. Col. William John Codrington, KCB, 1864

GAC number

17920