Old Master and British Works on Paper, including Portrait Miniatures from the Pohl-Ströher Collection
Old Master and British Works on Paper, including Portrait Miniatures from the Pohl-Ströher Collection
English School, 1837
Portrait of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) as she appeared at the window at her Proclamation, 1837
Lot Closed
December 4, 05:28 PM GMT
Estimate
1,500 - 2,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
English School, 1837
Portrait of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) as she appeared at the window at her Proclamation, 1837
Watercolour over pencil;
inscribed lower centre: Queen Victoria / as she appeared at the window at her Proclamation; together with 38 envelopes and one letter addressed to the Duchess of Northumberland
245 by 200 mm.
presented by her to her niece and ward, Heneriett, Lady Williams, née
Williams-Wynn (1818-1878),
by family by descent to the present owner
On 21 June 1837, following the death of her uncle, the young Victoria was proclaimed Queen, wearing 'deep mourning' white tippet and cuffs, and 'a border of white lace beneath a small black bonnet, which was placed far back on her head, exhibiting her light hair in front simply parted over her forehead.'
The present, previously unknown portrait, captures this significant moment and can be linked to two drawings and an engraving in the Royal Collection that also depict the new Queen wearing the above-mentioned clothing.1
This drawing has never before appeared on the market. Its history is an interesting one having once belonged to Charlotte, Duchess of Northumberland (1787-1866) who, between 1831 and 1837, acted as Victoria's governess. The duchess, at an unknown moment, gave the portrait to her niece and ward Henrietta Williams-Wynn (1818-1878) who, in May 1843, married Hugh Williams, later Sir Hugh Williams of Bodelwyddan, Flintshire. The work has remained with their descendants until this day.
The portrait is sold alongside a large number of envelopes and a single letter, written in an unknown hand, that are addressed to the Duchess of Northumberland. These envelopes date from between 1829 and 1843 and are individually stamped with the seals of Queen Victoria herself, her cousin Leopold I, King of the Belgians and her aunt, Queen Adelaide, wife of William IV.
We are grateful to Huon Mallalieu for his help when cataloguing this lot.
1. Louisa Stuart Costello (1799-1870) Portrait of Queen Victoria, watercolour, signed and dated 1837 (RCIN 990789); E.J. Taylor (fl. 1825-38) engraved Portrait of Queen Victoria (1838), after Henry Edward Dawes's (1790-1848) now lost work (RCIN 914231); and William Corden the elder's (1797-1867), Portrait of Queen Victoria, watercolour, dated 1838 (RCIN 922646)