Prince William, later Duke of Clarence (1765-1837)

Prince William, later Duke of Clarence, painted in 1782 and in the Royal Collection, depicts the future William IV — the 'Sailor King' who would reign 1830-37 — as a child of seventeen as part of Gainsborough's comprehensive royal portrait series. William had joined the Royal Navy the previous year, beginning the naval career that would give him his posthumous nickname and his genuine affection for ordinary sailors. Gainsborough produced the series of royal children's portraits in 1782 at the direct request of George III and Queen Charlotte, who wanted comprehensive documentation of their large family at a specific moment. His portrayal gives the young William the natural freshness and unaffected directness that the painter consistently found in young sitters, maintaining the royal dignity required by the commission while avoiding the stiffness that more formally oriented painters — Reynolds above all — tended to impose on comparable royal subjects. The contrast between Gainsborough's warm, atmospheric manner and Reynolds's more classical treatment of the royal family was a subject of contemporary discussion, and the king's preference for Gainsborough in this series reflects a real aesthetic choice.

Part of the Windsor royal portrait series, the work shows Gainsborough's ability to convey youthful energy within formal portrait conventions. The handling is fluid and confident, with the characteristic silvery palette of his mature period lending elegance to the royal subject.