Georgian
Georgian Pictures
The Georgian era in England produced a wealth of life, art, military struggle and changes in living conditions that form part of our cultural heritage. From Hogarth cartoons to Nelson portraits, we all know and recognise these images.There are many Georgian pictures, cartoons and illustrations to look at in our online galleries (and even more in the vaults if you ask nicely). We have a particular fondness for the genius of Thomas Rowlandson. Click on the images to visit each section. Remember that our framed Georgian pictures come in all shapes and sizes, so you can have your print at the size you need, and framed in any way you want.
 Thomas Rowlandson |
 Georgian Transport |
 Georgian People |
 Georgian London |
 Georgian Food and Drink |
 Georgian Sport |
 Georgian Military |
 Georgian Fashion |
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There never was an individual less regretted by his fellow-creatures than this deceased king. What eye has wept for him? What heart has heaved one throb of unmercenary sorrow? ... If he ever had a friend — a devoted friend in any rank of life — we protest that the name of him or her never reached us. The Times on the death of George IV
The Georgian period ran, unsurprisingly, during the reigns of the British Kings George I, II, III and IV - that is, from 1714 to 1830. That's a period of some 116 years, of which over one-half (60 years) was the reign of George III. It includes the Regency (1811 to 1820, when George III's son, confusingly called George, ruled in his father's stead) and is sometime extended to include the brief reign of William IV (1830 to 1837). The latter was of course succeeded by Queen Victoria, whose reign saw in the 20th century. The Georges were from the House of Hanover, following the last of the Stuart monarchs, Queen Anne. She died with no surviving children and her Catholic relatives were prevented from succeeding, so the monarchy of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland was turned over to a German-speaking dynasty more interested in sausage than faggots, much to the dismay of the Stuarts who failed to depose them in their Scottish-based revolts of 1715 and 1745. Georges I, II, and III all seem to have had difficult relationships with their sons. George IV would probably have had the same problems, had he had a legitimate son. George IV was Prince of Wales for decades while he waited for George III to die and he became infamous for his excess, doubtful friends and detachment from the real world. Plus ça change.... Such a long period of time saw significant changes in most areas of life and society. The most far-reaching political event has to have been the independence of the United States of America which came about during George III's reign. When Alan Bennett's play The Madness of George III was filmed, the title was change to The Madness of King George, reputedly for fear that American audience would wonder what happened to the first film in the series and its sequel - an urban myth, surely? Colonial expansion required military might and this was the period when British rivalry with France reached its climax in the Napoleonic Wars. in 1743 George II became the last British monarch to lead his troops into battle, at the Battle of Dettingen. The period saw the birth of the Industrial Revolution and the beginning of the move of population to the cities from the country as the efficiencies of the agricultural revolution and the enclosure of common land displaced much of rural society. The urbanisation of the population, encouraged by developments in transport services and infrastructure, spurred increased political activity. The economic and social conditions of both the urban and rural populations prompted the beginnings of significant emigration to Australia, Canada and America. The social conditions of the time were brilliantly recorded by the artists William Hogarth and Thomas Rowlandson. The debauchery and squalor that they so brilliantly depicted inspired the reforming activities of Peel and Wilberforce, and the revival of religion through radicals such as John Wesley. The Eighteenth Century was indeed the Renaissance of Art in England. Inspired by the Old Masters brought back from Grand Tours, and financed by the wealthy land-owning Milords; the great portrait painters of the Royal Academy, such as Thomas Gainsborough and Joshua Reynolds, flourished and became rich in their own right. Other Georgian picture painters and illustrators of genius, albeit less financially successful, include JMW Turner, John Constable and William Blake. Georgian pictures are the very epitome of English Art. Well, gentlemen, since you will have it so, God save the Queen - and may all your wives be like her. The Duke of Wellington to supporters of Queen Caroline in her dispute with King George IV Captain Darling: 'I'm as British as Queen Victoria'! Captain Blackadder: 'So your father's German, you're half German, and you married a German'? Tim McInnerney and Rowan Atkinson in Blackadder Goes Forth by Richard Curtis and Ben Elton | ||||