George Richmond, R.A. 1809-1896

This magnificent portrait by Richmond ranks amongst his very finest works, and is certainly his finest oil painting ever to come to auction. It captures the delicacy of youth, and continues an illustrious and well established tradition of Anglo-Indian portraiture. Tilly Kettle, Johann Zoffany and George Chinnery all excelled at capturing the glories of the Raj, and with this portrait Richmond has proved himself their equal.

The sitter was born in June 1866, the eldest son of the Maharaja Duleep Singh and his wife, Bamba, the daughter of an Abyssinian lady and the German banker Ludwig Muller. The Maharaja was well established in society , and a fine portrait of him was painted by George Beechey, sold by Sotheby's from Coulston House in 1990 for £60,000. He was the son of the great Sikh warrior Ranjit Singh ‘Lion of the Punjab’ and had been declared Maharaja of Lahore in 1843. He was deposed in 1849 and surrendered all his property to the British Empire, including the famous Koh-i-nor diamond. Regarded as the most dazzling diamond this jewel is said to date from the times of Lord Krishna and the great battle of Mahabharat fought in 3102 B.C., and belonged to the sitter’s grandfather Ranjit Singh, and then to the sitter’s father. It was presented to Queen Victoria and is now kept in the Tower of London. In 1850 the Maharaja Duleep Singh converted to Christianity and four years later he arrived in England. He was introduced to Queen Victoria on whom he made an immediate impression, "He is extremely handsome and speaks English perfectly, and has a pretty, graceful and dignified manner. He was beautifully dressed and covered with diamonds". His passion for shooting led to the purchase of Elveden in Suffolk, a house originally owned by the Earls of Albemarle, with a 17,000 acre estate which was regarded as one of the finest sporting estates in England. In 1864 he married Bamba, and their first son, the present sitter, was born two years later.

With such an illustrious Anglo-Indian heritage Prince Victor was destined for greatness. Queen Victoria herself was keen to be his godmother, and asked that he be brought to Windsor Castle to be christened. The baby was already eight months old and had already been christened at Elveden, so a different service was held in which Queen Victoria named ‘the plump little darling’ Victor Albert Jay.

The Maharaja led the life of an English aristocrat, a lifestyle which led to unsustainable debts. An official investigation into his financial affairs resulted in the conclusion that the family estate at Elveden should be sold after his death. In disgust at such treatment the Maharaja wrote to the Times outlining his grievances and threatening to return to India and to the Sikh religion. He eventually left England with his family. His wife and children soon returned to Elveden, whilst the Maharaja took up residence in Paris. Queen Victoria expressed great concern that care should be taken over the children, writing in her Journal that she hoped that "some kind and firm person…could prevent him ruining his children. The Queen’s godson she must see should not be ruined by his poor, good-natured but utterly deluded father’s follies".

Whilst the Maharajah’s father distanced himself further from Britain, allying himself with a number of anti-British organisations on the continent, the young Prince Victor developed into a model of the establishment. Educated at Eton it was decided that he should be sent to Sandhurst, eventually taking a commission in the First Royal Dragoons and becoming aide-de-camp to Sir John Rossin. He soon, however, decided to forgo an army career in favour of acting as an intermediary in the worsening relationship between his father and the Queen. A rapprochement was finally achieved in 1889 when Queen Victoria and the Maharaja met at Aix la Chapelle. The Maharaja finally died in 1893, and the following year Elveden Hall was sold to Lord Iveagh.

In 1892 Prince Victor married Anne, youngest daughter of George, 9th Earl of Coventry, and his wife, Blanche, daughter of the Earl of Craven.  The  marriage was childless and he died in 1918. His brother Frederick died unmarried in 1928.

The present picture was painted in 1870.  Richmond was at the height of his career, and the following year was asked by the Prime Minister to accept the Directorship of the National Gallery, an honour which he declined. The three year old Prince Victor was amongst illustrious company, since Richmond’s other sitters at this time included Gilbert Scott, the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, Lord Wenlock, and Lord Chancellor Hatherley. The present portrait illustrates Richmond’s mature style, and captures a young child in dashing and romantic costume. It is a work which transcends English and Indian portrait style to capture the essence of a young man at the outset of his life.