The Society for the Encouragement of Arts &c. in the distribution of their annual premiums -7th / painted, engraved & published by James Barry R.A. Professor of Painting to the Royal Academy ...
Caption title.
Library's copy trimmed within plate mark.
Print shows members of the Society of Arts and others gathered outside Somerset House, St Paul's Cathedral in the distance at right; the Society's founder, William Shipley, seated in the foreground at left, holding a scroll, behind him the President, Lord Romney, presenting Arthur Young with a medal, watched by Charles Marsham, a vice-president, and Samuel More, the secretary; the Prince of Wales in the robes of the Garter, looking out to left; at centre, Samuel Johnson conversing with the Duchesses of Rutland and Devonshire, and pointing to the group of Elizabeth Montagu presenting a young girl to the Duchess of Northumberland and others; at foreground right, a seated group including William Hunter and the Duke of Northumberland, examining the works of a young boy, behind, a standing group including Edmund Burke; coat of arms at bottom; after diagonal lines added to cover Prince of Wales's right knee. Cf. British Museum online catalog.