Women Artists

The lives and works of creative women

ALICE MARY CHAPLIN (1848-1921)

Noble III

1881

RCIN 70069

A statuette in bronze of a seated collie dog, Flora, on a base in the form of a rock. Inscribed.

This bronze, which has a beautiful rich patina, depicts Flora, one of Queen Victoria’s collies, a breed she patronised. Her favourite collie was Sharp who resided at Windsor and accompanied Queen Victoria almost everyhwere she went. Sharp died in 1879 and was buried at Windsor Park. The inscription on this tomb read ‘Sharp the favourite and beautiful Collie of Queen Victoria from 1866 to 1879. Died now 1879 aged 15 years’.

Miss Alice Chaplin was a sculptor active between 1880 and 1897. She made other bronzes depicting Queen Victoria's pets, including an 1882 group of three dogs, named in the inscription on the socle 'Noble, Fern and Spot' (RCIN 70051).


    Royal Collection Trust is a charity caring for the Royal Collection, one of the world’s great art collections. Income from your visit helps us to conserve and share the Collection so that it can be enjoyed by everyone, wherever they are.