Height overall: 95mm (3.5in)
Continental School, watercolour on ivory
Augustus III (1693-1763), King of Poland, in gilt-studded armour and white cravat, powdered wig en queue, ermine-lined blue velvet cloak embroidered with the breast-star of the Royal Polish Order of the White Eagle.
Frederick Augustus I or Augustus II the Strong (1670 –1733) was Elector of Saxony (as Frederick Augustus I) and became King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (as Augustus II). Augustus's great physical strength earned him the nicknames "the Strong," "the Saxon Hercules" and "Iron-Hand." He came to the Dukedom of Saxony through the premature death of his older brother, who, while disporting himself during the carnival season in Venice, died without legitimate issue. Frederick Augustus is perhaps best remembered as a patron of the arts and architecture. He established the Saxon capital of Dresden as a major cultural centre, attracting artists from across Europe to his court. Augustus also amassed an impressive art collection and built lavish baroque palaces at Dresden and Warsaw. He also successfully sponsored efforts to discover the secret of manufacturing porcelain.