| State portraits of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert | |
|---|---|
| Artist | Franz Xaver Winterhalter |
| Year | 1859 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, portrait painting |
| Dimensions | 241.9 cm(95.2 in) |
| Location | Grand Entrance and Marble Hall, Buckingham Palace, London |
The state portraits of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert are 1859 portrait paintings by the German artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter. [1] [2] Albert's portrait was the last of several ones Winterhalter painted of Albert before the prince's death in 1860.
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Winterhalter had been commissioned by the Queen following her marriage to Albert and after her dissatisfaction with woks by painters such as David Wilkie. [3] The new state portraits were commissioned in 1858 and upon their unveiling in 1859 Victoria described them as "truly magnificent". [3] Victoria is shown in her robes of state wearing the George IV State Diadem, and the earrings and necklace made by Garrard's in 1858. [4] Her left hand is placed on some papers next to the Imperial State Crown. [4] Westminster can be seen in the painting's background. [4] Albert is shown in the uniform of the Rifle Brigade and wearing the star and ribbon of the Order of the Garter and the badge of the Golden Fleece. [5] Behind him are the robes of the Order of the Bath, while adjacent to the table are the chain and star of the Order as well as a field marshal's baton. His shako is placed on a stool in the background. [5]
The original paintings remain in the Royal Collection and on display at the Grand Entrance and Marble Hall at Buckingham Palace. In 1867 Winterhalter produced a copy of Albert's portrait at the command of Victoria. She had been approached with a request from the recently established National Portrait Gallery who lacked a painting of the Prince, and she gifted it to the gallery. [6]