Angelica Kauffmann (1741-1807) was born in Switzerland and was seen as a child prodigy. She soon specialised in history and portraits paintings while in Italy (especially Florence, Rome and Naples, Bologna, Parma and Venice) she was influenced by the nascent Neo-classical style. She became a member of the Roman Accademia di San Luca at the age of 23. She arrived in London in June 1766 and remained there for 15 years before moving back to Italy with her second husband the painter Antonio Zucchi (1726-1796). In London, she was a founder-member of the Royal Academy. All her life, she enjoyed international patronage such as the family of George III in Britain, Grand Duke Paul and Price Nikolay Yusupov in Russia, Queen Caroline of Naples and Emperor Joseph II of Austria among others. She died in Rome where her funeral was arranged by the Neo-classical sculptor Antonio Canova (1757-1822).

This painting portrayed the princess Augusta Charlotte (1737-1813), daughter of Frederick Prince of Wales and eldest sister of George III, with her son. It is a copy in reverse of Angelica Kauffmann's portrait executed in 1767 and currently in the Royal collection. This full-length portrait is a fine example of Georgian portraiture based on the so-called "Vandyke manner" essential to British portrait painting in the age of Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough.