The Gardens of Carlton House with Neapolitan Ballad Singers 1784

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Foreign. Commonwealth & Development Office, Carlton Gardens

In 1889 ‘The Manchester Quarterly’ included a chapter on the artist Henry Bunbury, which describes this print as follows:

‘This is the most charming engraving after Bunbury - indeed, it is one of the choicest of the stipple engravings of the last century. There are about twenty figures, which are presumably portraits of notabilities of that day. George, Prince of Wales (afterwards George IV.), is in the centre of the picture, with a beautiful lady on each arm. The lady on his right is Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and the lady on his left is the Duchess of Rutland.’

Political hostess Georgiana Cavendish (née Spencer), Duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806) was a close friend of the young Prince of Wales. There were rumours of an affair between the two, which Georgiana always denied. The Prince (later King George IV) took possession of Carlton House in 1783. He made a numerous alterations, transforming it into Carlton House Palace. He was notorious for his flamboyance and regularly held extravagant parties at the palace. This scene depicts a fête held in the gardens of Carlton House in 1784, possibly the ball held on 28 May for which a series of marquees were erected.

People

George IV (1762 - 1830), née Spencer), Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire Cavendish (1757 - 1806), Mary Isabella (née Somerset), Duchess of Rutland Manners (1756 - 1831)

Places

England, London

Subjects

wind instrument, singing, musician, genre, tree, Italian, man, woman, 18th century costume, dress, stockings, waistcoat, breeches, fan, hat, bicorn, shoe, garden, palace, tent/marquee

Materials & Techniques

engraving, stipple engraving

Artist

Henry William Bunbury (1750 - 1811)
William Dickinson (1746 - 1823)

Title

The Gardens of Carlton House with Neapolitan Ballad Singers 1784

Date

10 May 1785

Medium

Coloured stipple engraving

Dimensions

height: 59.00 cm, width: 76.00 cm

Acquisition

Purchased from the Parker Gallery, November 1961

GAC number

5653