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1 of 253523 objects
The Coronation Procession of William IV (V) 1831-32
Oil on canvas | 70.9 x 545.8 cm (support, canvas/panel/stretcher external) | RCIN 405993
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William IV’s coronation procession proceeded down Constitution Hill at 9.00 am on 8 September 1831 on its way to Westminster Abbey. This monstrous frieze (nearly four metres long) shows this moment and was commissioned by William IV. The first part was exhibited at the Society of Artists in 1832, where the accuracy of the record, including individual portraits, was much admired, though one critic wondered if the King intended to ‘build a national gallery for Mr. R. B. Davis’s long-winded discourse’. There is no record of where the King did intend to display the work, though it is recorded at Buckingham Palace in 1875. There is no indication of how the artist originally intended to divide the work, if at all. It is now in ten sections of which this is the fifth, showing the two carriages of the Duke and Duchess of Cumberland, each pulled by six white horses with a postillion, and accompanied by an escort of 17th Lancers and Life Guards. These are followed by the King's forty-eight Watermen, lead by the Barge Master.
Provenance
Commissioned by William IV
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Creator(s)
Commissioner(s)
Subject(s)
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Medium and techniques
Oil on canvas
Measurements
70.9 x 545.8 cm (support, canvas/panel/stretcher external)
71.1 x 552.7 x 3.0 cm (historic support measurement)
Other number(s)
Alternative title(s)
The Coronation Procession of William IV, 8 September 1831 (V)