Thursday, December 3, 2015

Molti Ritratti: Queen Victoria

Victoria (1819-1901) became Queen of the United Kingdom in 1837, about the time photography emerged.

In theory, that makes it possible to compare photos of her with painted portraits. However, based on some Googling on my part, it seems likely that most photographs of her were taken during the last half of her reign. I was able to find a few that provide comparisons with most of the paintings I selected.

As for the paintings, because they are of a monarch, they tend to be cautiously done, perhaps even a bit more so than commissioned portraits of others.

Gallery

Photo by Bryan Edward Duppe and Gustav William Mullins - 1854 - image copyright HM Queen Elizabeth II
Victoria was about 35 years old when this was taken.

By Thomas Sully - 1838
Painted around the time of her coronation.

By Franz Xaver Winterhalter - 1842
Winterhalter was a go-to portrait artist for royalty and nobility.

Photo by John Mayall on a Carte de visite - 1861 - copyright Victoria & Albert Museum
This shows Victoria with Prince Albert who died 14 December of that year.

By Franz Xaver Winterhalter - 1859
Winterhalter seems to have firmed up her chin for this official portrait.

By Carl Rudolph Sohn (from a photograph) - 1883

Photo by Alexander Bassano - 1882

By Heinrich von Angeli - 1899
Victoria was about 80 when this was painted.

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