Charles Landseer (1799-1879)
Blair Castle, with the Highland guard drawn 1844
Pencil, watercolour and bodycolour | 25.5 x 36.2 cm (whole object) | RCIN 919542
-
A watercolour view of Blair Castle showing the Royal Standard flying over it, denoting the Queen's presence, and the Athollmen drawn up in the foreground.
On their second visit to Scotland in September 1844, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed at Blair Castle in Perthshire, the seat of the Duke of Atholl.
This watercolour is one of four painted by Charles Landseer relating to the Blair Castle visit (see also RCINs 920774 and 920775; the fourth is untraced and was never mounted in the View Albums). Landseer was the elder brother of the famed animal painter Edwin Landseer who enjoyed much royal patronage, but Charles only received this one royal commission.
This watercolour was originally mounted in View Album II. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert compiled nine View Albums during their marriage. These albums contained watercolours and drawings documenting their life together and were arranged in chronological order. The albums were dismantled in the early twentieth century and rebound in new volumes both in a different arrangement and with additional items, but a written record of their original contents and arrangement still exists.
Provenance
Commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert for their View Albums
-
Creator(s)
-
Medium and techniques
Pencil, watercolour and bodycolour
Measurements
25.5 x 36.2 cm (whole object)