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horse sketched by Edward VII
Royal Copyists

Explore royal copies of Great Masters in the Royal Collection

RICHARD WESTALL (1765-1836)

A young girl filling a pitcher from a spring

c. 1831

Watercolour over pencil | 20.4 x 15.7 cm (sheet of paper) | RCIN 925132

Artist Richard Westall was employed for eight years as drawing teacher to Queen Victoria when she was a child. She started by copying Westall’s drawings of horses, hands and eyes, and later copied some of his finished studies, all produced for this purpose and kept in two albums.  At the age of 12, Victoria worked on this composition of a young girl filling a pitcher from a spring.  Although already competent, she struggled with the proportions of the girl’s features.

A watercolour showing a young girl filling a pitcher with water from a spring. She is shown full-length, facing forward and leaning on a rock. She is holding a small wild flower in one hand. Princess Victoria, later Queen Victoria, received her first drawA watercolour showing a young girl filling a pitcher with water from a spring, after Richard Westall (RCIN 925132). She is shown full-length, facing forward and leaning on a rock. She is holding a small wild flower in one hand. Inscribed lower right: Vict
Drawing by Richard Westall
Copy by Queen Victoria

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