An early Victorian photograph depicting Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Prince Albert (1819–1861), and their nine children, arranged in an alternative royal family group composition. Prince Albert stands prominently at the centre, surrounded by Queen Victoria and their children. The photograph brings together all nine children of the royal couple: Victoria, Princess Royal; Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII; Princess Alice; Prince Alfred; Princess Helena; Princess Louise; Prince Arthur; Prince Leopold; and Princess Beatrice. The image provides an appealing visual record of the complete British Royal Family, whose children and descendants would subsequently become closely connected through marriage with many of the principal royal houses of Europe – contributing to Queen Victoria's later reputation as the “Grandmother of Europe.” The composition is particularly interesting when viewed alongside other family portraits of Victoria and Albert, presenting the Royal Family in a comparatively intimate group arrangement while retaining the conventions of Victorian royal portraiture. As Prince Albert died in December 1861, the original photographic sitting represented here necessarily predates his death.
Auction 01: Auction 01 – Historical Letters, Documents & Autographs — Melis Antiques & Art