Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales was the only child of George, Prince of Wales (later to become King George IV) and Caroline of Brunswick. If she had outlived both her grandfather, King George III, and her father, she would have become Queen of the United Kingdom, but tragically she died following childbirth on 6 November 1817 aged just 21.
The inspiration for this painting came from a series of four poems written by the Scottish author James Thomson. Each poem took a different season as its theme and were published one season at a time between 1726 and 1730. The poems proved to be extremely influential and many artists were inspired to produce works based on them, including Thomas Gainsborough and J. M. W. Turner.
This intriguing painting tells the story of Vertumnus and Pomona, two characters from Roman Mythology. Their story was told in the Metamorphoses by Ovid, which has been a popular source of inspiration for artists for several centuries. Vertumnus is a god with multiple roles. He is the god of seasons, of plant growth, gardens and fruit trees and also possessed the remarkable power to change his form at will.
Michael Escolme 