| Portrait of the Duke of Clarence | |
| Artist: | Martin Archer Shee |
| Year: | c.1800 |
| Type: | Oil on canvas, portrait |
| Height Metric: | 221 |
| Width Metric: | 149.9 |
| Metric Unit: | cm |
| Imperial Unit: | in |
| Museum: | National Portrait Gallery |
| City: | London |
Portrait of the Duke of Clarence is a portrait painting by the Irish artist Martin Archer Shee depicting the future William IV, then Duke of Clarence.[1] [2]
The third son of George III, Clarence was not considered likely to inherit the throne and joined the Royal Navy. He is shown in the full dress uniform of an admiral, wearing the Order of the Garter.[3] After the death of his elder brother George IV in 1830, William succeeded to the throne. Archer Shee was President of the Royal Academy during William's reign, following Thomas Lawrence in the post. He also painted William while he was King.
Today the work is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London, which acquired it in 1928.[4] Archer Shee also produced a near contemporary painting of Clarence in the robes of a peer which he exhibited at the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition in 1800, which is now in the collection of the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool.[5]