A 19th-century engraved portrait of Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Duchess of Kent (1786–1861), mother of Queen Victoria. The Duchess is portrayed half-length in an elegant dark gown with voluminous sleeves, wearing jewellery and an elaborate large feathered hat, against a landscape background. The portrait is presented within a richly decorated printed frame. Victoria, Duchess of Kent, was the daughter of Franz, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Through her second marriage to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, a son of King George III, she became the mother of Princess Alexandrina Victoria, the future Queen Victoria. Following the Duke's death in 1820, she raised Victoria at Kensington Palace and played a central role in the future Queen's childhood. The print belongs to the tradition of British royal portrait engraving of the first half of the 19th century. Several contemporary portraits of the Duchess were reproduced through stipple, etching and engraving, examples of which are preserved in the British Museum. An attractive piece of British Royalty and Victorian-era portraiture, depicting the mother of Queen Victoria.
Auction 01: Auction 01 – Historical Letters, Documents & Autographs — Melis Antiques & Art