Bidspirit 拍卖 | Queen Victoria (1819–1901) in Mourning

Queen Victoria (1819–1901) in Mourning – Royal CDV Photograph with Partial Hand-Colouring, by Ghémar Frères, Photographes du Roi – Brussels, 19th Century - A nineteenth-century royal Carte-de-Visite (CDV) portrait of Queen Victoria (1819–1901) in mourning, produced by the Belgian royal photographic studio Ghémar Frères – Photographes du Roi, Bruxelles. The Queen is portrayed seated in an upholstered chair, dressed entirely in her characteristic black mourning attire, together with the white widow’s headdress so closely associated with her later image. Her head is slightly bowed and her hands rest together in her lap, creating a quiet, intimate and distinctly melancholic portrait. Beside Victoria stands an elaborate studio table bearing several objects. Of particular interest, portions of this area appear to have been hand-coloured, with yellow and gold tones applied to the table and objects, providing an unusual decorative contrast with the otherwise monochrome photographic image. The portrait reflects the public image adopted by Victoria following the death of her beloved husband, Prince Albert, in 1861. The Queen continued to wear black mourning dress for the remainder of her life, and this image of the widowed sovereign became one of the defining visual representations of the Victorian monarchy. The front is credited: “Ghémar Frères, Photographes du Roi, Bruxelles.” The reverse bears the original studio backmark: “ATELIER DE PHOTOGRAPHIE GHÉMAR FRÈRES, PHOTOGRAPHES DU ROI, 27, rue de l’Ecuyer, BRUXELLES.” The lower reverse records the wholesale publication of the photograph by: A. Marion & Co., 23 Soho Square, London, W. An appealing and unusual royal CDV combining Queen Victoria in mourning, Ghémar Frères’ Belgian royal photographic studio, a period royal backmark and distinctive partial hand-colouring.