Attributed to Sir James Thornhill, 1675–1734, British
Title:
Allegory of the Power of Great Britain by Sea, design for a decorative panel for George I's ceremonial coach
Date:
ca. 1720
Materials & Techniques:
Oil on panel
Dimensions:
18 x 21 inches (45.7 x 53.3 cm)
Credit Line:
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection
Copyright Status:
Public Domain
Accession Number:
B1977.14.98
Gallery Label:
This pair of panels was probably made in the studio of Sir James Thornhill, a British artist who specialized in painting large, decorative allegories for the interiors of houses and public buildings. They are preliminary designs for a new state coach for George I that he would have used to travel to and from ceremonial occasions and were probably executed by an assistant from drawings sketched by Thornhill. Both are emblematic of Britain’s new imperial ambitions, proclaiming the greatness of British power on land and at sea, with Neptune and Hercules paying homage to Britannia, who stands alongside the arms of the new Hanoverian king. In the end, the idea of a new state coach was abandoned, and George I continued to use the existing coach of Queen Anne. Gallery label for installation of YCBA collection, 2016