Beschreibung:

Victoria (Queen of Great Britain, 1819-1901). Portrait of Edward, Prince of Wales, and Prince Alfred, Osborne House, Isle of Wight, circa 1850, watercolour, depicting the future Edward VII with his left hand on the shoulder of his younger brother Alfred, the former dressed in a blue plaid belted tunic, white trousers, and a straw hat, the latter wearing a cream jacket and matching trilby, and a blue plaid skirt accompanied by long socks, both boys carrying butterfly nets, with a coastal view of the Solent in the background, 9.5 x 6.5 cm (3.75 x 6.5 ins), mounted, framed and glazed (Qty: 1) Provenance: Given by Queen Victoria to Miss Sarah Hildyard ('Tilla'), governess to the royal children; sold by her descendants at Sotheby's, 25th January, 1968, where purchased by the current owner. This sketch of brothers Edward, Prince of Wales (1841-1910), and Alfred (1844-1900), is reminiscent of a drawing of a family scene at Osborne executed by Victoria in 1850. The group picture is very similar in style and palette to ours, and the clothing of the two brothers almost identical, leading to the conclusion that the two works were executed around the same time. Marina Warner writes of the family group: 'The brilliant use of colour, the asssured evocation of pleasant heat, the firmly handled idyllic atmosphere on this family scene at Osborne House in 1850 show the influence of William Leighton Leitch a master watercolourist who started teaching the Queen in 1842 and continued to visit her regularly at all her houses.' (Queen Victoria's Sketchbook, 1979, pp.108-111).