Queen Victoria (1819-1901)

This 1839 portrait of Queen Victoria by Landseer belongs to the early years of the monarch's reign, when she was twenty years old and the image of the queen was still being established in the public and private imagination. Landseer had already entered the royal circle by this date, having been favoured by Victoria's mother and becoming a regular guest at Windsor and Buckingham Palace. Portraits painted in 1839 coincide with the period immediately before Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert in February 1840, a time of particular public interest in her appearance and demeanour. The Royal Collection holds many Landseer works connected to this period of domestic royal life. Unlike the official state portraits, Landseer's likenesses of Victoria tend toward the personal and sympathetic, reflecting his genuine affection for the queen and her animals.

Oil on canvas with the smooth descriptive finish expected of royal portraiture. Landseer's handling of Victoria's face draws on his anatomical precision, while the treatment of dress and setting is accomplished with confident ease. The tonal structure is carefully managed to ensure the sitter's face emerges as the painting's luminous centre.