This is a version of the portrait Sir Arthur Cope was commissioned to paint for the Royal College of Music in 1926. King George V (1865-1936) is depicted, at three-quarter length, seated in a giltwood Louis XV style armchair, wearing white tie with Windsor uniform, with star, riband and garter of the Order of the Garter, neck badge of Bath and miniatures. In this variant two stone columns replace a gilded frame in the background of the earlier portrait.

Several artists were considered for the commission of the original portrait. Augustus John, Sir James Guthrie and Sir William Orpen were all suggested; ultimately, however, the commission went to the more conventional Cope. Similar discussion surrounded the choice of artist for the companion portrait of Queen Mary for the Royal College of Music (the Royal Collection version does not have a companion portrait). Cope’s strength did not seem to lie in depicting women. Dame Laura Knight was proposed, although apparently, ‘the Queen says nothing would induce her to be painted by that lady.’ Leonard Campbell Taylor, who would go on to paint the coronation of King George VI in 1937, was ultimately the artist chosen to undertake the companion portrait of the Queen.

In December 1926 Cope requested to borrow back the Royal College of Music’s portrait of the King, in order to embark on the version for Queen Mary. On 15 February, 1927 he wrote, apologising… ‘I am sorry to have to borrow the portrait for so long, but these replicas mean often more work than the originals, as one cannot do these with the same freedom.’ On Saturday March 16 Queen Mary recorded in her diary …’ then to Sir Arthur Cope’s Studio to see his picture of G. which he is painting for me in Windsor Uniform – It is very good – G. returned at 8 from Knowsley –.’

At the same time Cope was engaged with painting a large full-length portrait of the King for the Royal Academy (dated 1928) and numerous sittings are recorded in his diary from April 1926 to early 1928.