George III
1783
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1783
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see King George III standing tall in shiny armor, one hand resting on a sword. This portrait was made just after Britain lost the American Revolution. The king never actually wore armor—it was painted to make him look strong when he felt weak. West, an American artist, got paid by the king himself for over 80 works like this. If you want to see how other artists painted power, look up Benjamin West (American, 1738–1820).
