One of Richard Cosway’s finest drawings, this shows George’s lover, Maria Fitzherbert, sitting in a rustic glade. She wears a portrait miniature of George around her neck. The pair met in 1784 and secretly married in 1785, although the ceremony was not legitimate as George could not marry without his father’s consent. This elegant private commission provides a contrast to the public caricatures of Fitzherbert, who was the frequent target of satirical printmakers.

Probably commissioned by George; purchased in 2019