Bidspirit 拍卖 | Prince Alfred (1844–1900), Second Son

Prince Alfred (1844–1900), Second Son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert – Early Royal Carte-de-Visite Portrait by Camille Silvy, London – 1860s - An early royal Carte-de-Visite (CDV) portrait of Prince Alfred Ernest Albert (1844–1900), the second son and fourth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, photographed by the celebrated French-born London photographer Camille Silvy (1834–1910). The young Prince is shown full-length in an elegant studio portrait, wearing a formal suit and waistcoat with tie and watch chain. He poses informally against a large studio pedestal while holding a top hat and walking cane, creating the sophisticated composition characteristic of Silvy’s aristocratic portraiture. Of particular interest is the pedestal beside Alfred, decorated with the Prince of Wales’s Feathers, providing a distinctive royal element within the composition. Prince Alfred was Queen Victoria’s second son and entered the Royal Navy in 1858. He was subsequently created Duke of Edinburgh, eventually rose to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet, and in 1893 succeeded as Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Camille Silvy was among the leading portrait photographers working in London during the 1860s. His celebrated studio at 38 Porchester Terrace, Bayswater attracted aristocratic, society and royal sitters, and his portraits became renowned for their elegant staging and technical quality. The reverse carries Silvy’s distinctive original red studio backmark, incorporating his emblem and reading: “PHOTOGRAPHED BY C. Silvy 38 Porchester Terrace, BAYSWATER, W.” A later pencil identification “BRITISH ROYALTY” appears at the upper reverse. An attractive early royal photograph combining the young Prince Alfred, Camille Silvy, Carte-de-Visite format, a royal studio setting incorporating the Prince of Wales’s Feathers and Silvy’s original London studio backmark.