| Portrait of Maria Fitzherbert | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Joshua Reynolds |
| Year | 1788 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, portrait |
| Dimensions | 91.4 cm × 71.1 cm (36.0 in × 28.0 in) |
| Location | National Portrait Gallery, London |
Portrait of Maria Fitzherbert is a 1788 portrait painting by the British artist Sir Joshua Reynolds.[1] [2]
The widowed Maria Fitzherbert had entered into a clandestine marriage with George, Prince of Wales in 1785. Although technically illegal due to the Royal Marriages Act, the couple lived together as husband and wife.[3] The issue of this secret earlier marriage became a potentially controversial issue when George entered a dynastic marriage with his cousin Caroline of Brunswick in 1796. Despite this and his numerous affairs, George remained emotionally attached to his earlier marriage and was buried with a miniature of Maria Fitzherbert in 1830.[4]
Reynolds was President of the Royal Academy when he painted Fitzherbert. Today the painting is on display in the National Portrait Gallery in London, having been lent from a private collection in 1976.[5]