England: Richmond Hill, on the Prince Regent's Birthday

This expansive painting captures a lively celebration on Richmond Hill, a real event hosted by Lady Cardigan in August 1817 to honor the Prince Regent's birthday. The canvas stretches over eleven feet wide, presenting a panoramic view of the festivities. Figures in "flighty Watteauesque" style populate the scene, some turning their gaze towards an unseen point just off the canvas, suggesting the Regent's presence. The bend of the River Thames and Petersham Meadows are visible in the background, with Ham House also discernible in the distance. The artist, J. M. W. Turner, lived nearby in Twickenham at Sandycombe Lodge. This work, the largest he had exhibited to date, was likely conceived with a specific patron in mind: the Prince Regent himself, who would have had ample wall space for such a grand landscape. Although it was not acquired by the Royal Collection, this painting marks an important moment before Turner's influential visit to Italy, which would significantly transform his approach to light.