This drawing was part of a collaborative project between Ramberg and the printmaker Pietro Antonio Martini. Ramberg produced this view of the Great Room at Somerset House, showing the Royal Family visiting the summer exhibition in 1787, as a basis for an etching to be produced by Martini. Ramberg concentrated his attention on the portraits, as shown in this drawing; he has only indicated in outline the placing of the paintings, leaving the printmaker to add a clear indication of their subject and format.

The sheets must have been separated while in the Defer-Dumesnil collection based on the location of their stamps. This is a study for an engraving by P.A. Martini, pubished as a record of the Royal Academy exhibition of 1787 (see impression at The Courtauld, G.2000.XX.4).

Pierre Defer, Paris (1798-1870); by descent to his son-in-law Henri Dumesnil, Paris (1823-1898), L.739; his sale, via experts Féral and Danlos at Hôtel Drouot (Paris), 10 -12 May 1900, lot 207; purchased there by Alfred Beurdeley, Paris (1847-1919), L.421; his sale, via Féral at Galerie Georges Petit (Paris), 13-15 March 1905, lot 309; purchased there by Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (1882-1947); by descent to his eldest son George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood (1923-2011); Harewood Charitable Trust's sale, Christie's (London), 9 July 1985, lot 50; purchased there by Spink & Son (London); purchased there by The Samuel Courtauld Trust (Sherlock Fund) with contributions from The Art Fund and the Victoria & Albert Museum Purchase Grant Fund (Museums and Galleries Commission), October 1994

The Courtauld Collects - 20 Years of Acquisitions, Somerset House & London & England, 17/06/2010-19/09/2010

Sir Joshua Reynolds - The Acquisition of Genius, Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, Plymouth, 21/11/2009-21/02/2010

Pictures of Innocence - Children in Portraits from Hogarth to
Lawrence, Holburne Museum of Art & Bath & England, 22/03/2005-19/06/2005

Sir Joshua Reynolds: the acquisition of genius, Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery, 2009
no. 98
ill. on p. 180

Pictures of Innocence: Portraits of Children from Hogarth to Lawrence, Holburne Museum of Art, Bath, 2005
p. 4 and no. 50 on p. 83
under Table of Contents

Murdoch, John, 'Architecture and experience: The visitor and spaces of Somerset House, 1780-1869' in 'Art on the line: Royal Academy exhibitions at Somerset House 1780-1836', New Haven and London 2001 - pp. 9-22
pp. 20-21
fig. 16 ...More

Watermark: Watermark: none.

Inscription: Recto: lower left edge, pen and grey ink, signed and dated by the artist, initials monogram: “JH. Ramberg. invt & delit. / 1787.”. Key, Recto: the numbers run from left to right above each person’s head, in black ink: “10”, “18”, “11”, “12”, “6”, “5”, “4”, “3”, “7”, “8”, “9”, “2”, “1”, [unidentified bust], “13”, “14”, “15”, “16”, “17” [3 unidentified busts]; the names are in six columns containing three names each: “1. King George iii. / 2. Queen Charlotte. / 3. The Princess Royal.”, “4. The Princess Augusta.” / 5. The Princess Elizabeth. / 6. The Princess Mary.”, “7. The Princess Sophia. / 8. The Princess Amelia. / 9. Earl of Aylesbury”, “10. Prince Ernest. / 11. Prince Augustus Frederick. / 12. Prince Adolphus Frederick.”, “13. George Prince of Wales. / 14. The Duke of York. / 15. Prince William Henry”, “16. Prince Edward. / 17. Sir Joshua Reynolds, President. / 18. Benjamin West.”. Verso (now hidden under Japanese tissue): lower right corner, graphite?, upside down: “Ramberg / George III”.

Collector's mark: Recto: lower left corner, stamped in black ink: Alfred Beurdeley (L.421); lower right corner of left sheet and lower left corner of right sheet (now that sheets are joined the stamps are direclty adjacent), stamped in black ink: Collection Defer-Dumesnil (L.739).

Label: There were four labels on the former frame, all from Spink; two identical labels, one giving the object number as "No. S 8367" and the other as "No. APB 7358", accompanied by a typewritten list of the pictured individuals and a label including a description and provenance information.