Her Most Excellent Majesty Charlotte Queen of Great Britain

Date1762

Designed and engraved by Thomas Frye (ca. 1710 - 1762)

Publisher Henry Parker (ca. 1725 - 1809)

Publisher John Boydell

OriginEngland, London

MediumGlass, mezzotint engraving, gouche, turpentine, wood

DimensionsFramed: 16 5/8" x 12 1/2"; Plate: 14 1/8" x 9 7/8"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1936-638,1

DescriptionLower margin reads: "Frye ad vivum delineavit./ Her Most Excellent Majesty CHARLOTTE Queen of Great Britain &."
Label TextThis is a portrait of Queen Charlotte of Great Britain engraved by Thomas Frye - this is a heavily re-worked, later state of the print that was published by Henry Parker and John Boydell. She wears long earrings and a great deal of jewelry including pearls and jewelled brooch. She also has shoulder knots on the ermine-trimmed robe she wears and these knots are adorned with pearls. This is a companion print to George III, 1936-638,2, the pair directed toward each other.

This is an example of a glass transfer print. Mezzotints were often used because they offered more variations in tone. First, the glass was cleaned and primed with turpentine, then the back of the print was wetted. Next, the print was adhered to the piece of glass and rolled flat using a small roller. The back of the print was dampened using a sponge and rubbed until the paper was all but gone. This process laid out the design, which was the reverse of the original print, for the artist to work from. Paint was applied in prescribed ways, starting with the small details highlights, lighter colors, and details; and finally working up to the darker and final layers of shadow and shading --- from foreground to background. When viewed from the back, these pictures appear blotchy and bear little resemblance to the painting on the front.