George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
- Artist: William Larkin
- Date: circa 1616
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 81 in. x 47 in. (2057 mm x 1194 mm)
- Portrays: George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
- Museum: The National Portrait Gallery
- Collection record: The National Portrait Gallery website
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About this artwork
In this portrait of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, you see a grand oil on canvas painted in the studio of William Larkin around 1616. The canvas is large – about eighty‑one inches tall and forty‑seven wide – giving the figure ample space to breathe.
Villiers stands with his shoulders squared and his left leg exposed, so we can admire the rich textiles of his robes. He wears the Order of the Garter: a garter belt wrapped at his waist and an embroidered motto beneath his knee, “Honi soit qui mal y pense.” The background was once painted green; recent work has removed that layer to restore the original palette, revealing the true colorfulness of Larkin’s brushwork.
The artist’s hand shows careful attention to texture: the delicate weave of the cloth, the subtle sheen on the jewels he wears. It is a lively snapshot of court fashion and power in Jacobean England.
See it in person
George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham is in the collection of The National Portrait Gallery at St Martin's Place, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
