Portrait of Princess Louise (1848-1939), head and shoulders, in a blue dress

Details

Queen Victoria (1819-1901), after Franz Xavier Winterhalter
Portrait of Princess Louise (1848-1939), head and shoulders, in a blue dress
signed, inscribed and dated 'Victoria R/after F. Winterhalter./1851.' (lower right) and with inscription 'H.R.H. P^cess Louise./copied by Queen Victoria./(her 1^st attempt in Oils)/from F. Winterhalter. 1852' (on the reverse)
oil on canvas, painted circle
13 x 13 in. (33 x 33 cm.)

Provenance

Property from the Collection of H.R.H. The Prince George, Duke of Kent K.G., K.T., and H.R.H. Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent C.I., G.C.V.O. and their families; Christie's, London, 20 November 2009, lot 65.

Special notice

Specified lots (sold and unsold) marked with a filled square not collected from Christie’s by 5.00 pm on the day of the sale will, at our option, be removed to Cadogan Tate. Christie’s will inform you if the lot has been sent offsite. Our removal and storage of the lot is subject to the terms and conditions of storage which can be found at Christies.com/storage. Please call Christie’s Client Service 24 hours in advance to book a collection time at Cadogan Tate Ltd. All collections will be by pre-booked appointment only. Tel: +44 (0)20 7839 9060 Email: cscollectionsuk@christies.com. If the lot remains at Christie’s it will be available for collection on any working day 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Lots are not available for collection at weekends.

Lot Essay

The present picture is after Franz Xavier Winterhalter's Portrait of Louise, Princess of Great Britain & Ireland (1848-1939), later Duchess of Argyll in The Collection of Her Majesty The Queen (no.429). It was painted for Queen Victoria, who recorded sittings for it on 3 May 1851. Winterhalter was paid £40 for the portrait, which was placed in the Antique Room at Buckingham Palace (VR Inv. 399); moved to Windsor Castle in 1883 and hung in the Red Drawing Room; transferred into the Audience Room set into the frames originally containing Gainsborough's oval portraits of the Family of George III (Inv. no. 2075).

Queen Victoria's Portrait of Princess Louise is one of three portraits, after Winterhalter, that she painted in the Summer of 1851. The other two were painted soon after Winterhalter had 'done charming little heads of Clem's little girls' (Queen Victoria's Journal, 5 July 1851) and are of Princess Clothilde and Princess Amalie of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. (The Collection of Her Majesty The Queen, no. 1052 and 1053).

More from Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite & British Impressionist Art, Maritime Art, Sporting & Wildlife Art

View All