As others see us
SOON after her marriage in 1858, Prince Albert wrote to his eldest daughter that: ‘We only rarely buy works of the Water Colour school for ourselves, but we have made presents to each other of the pictures. Thus the pleasure that we take in them is doubled.’ In fact, Victoria and Albert were both enthusiastic watercolour collectors, but they were also well aware of the need to avoid the conspicuous extravagance of the Queen’s uncle, George IV, in art collecting and architectural projects. Watercolours were an economical field in which to collect and, in the light of today’s knee-jerk criticism of monies proposed for work on Buckingham Palace, it is worth noting that, in their redecoration, the couple was scorned for cheese-paring.
‘The albums of views of Coburg given to Victoria were to keep Albert in her thoughts’
Victoria had collected drawings since early girlhood, as it was a time when young ladies’ albums
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days