Islay and Eos
Print
1840 (printed)
1840 (printed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Who was Queen Victoria? (1819 –1901)
Born in England, made prints in England
Printmaking activity: 1840 –1848
Queen Victoria was introduced to etching by her husband, Prince Albert, shortly after their marriage in 1840. The couple were taught by professional artists, including Sir George Hayter, and later, Edwin Landseer. These professionals were responsible for the more complicated parts of the printmaking process, such as biting the copper plates in acid. Though Victoria found etching to be a ‘fascinating but difficult process’, she produced 62 prints, compared to Albert’s 25. The couple also enjoyed collaborating on plates together and set up a printing press at Buckingham Palace.
These early prints reveal how etching was an ideal technique for curious amateurs who lacked formal training – they could ‘draw’ on the copper plate as they would a piece of paper. They also show how Queen Victoria, like many amateur women printmakers, turned to everyday domestic scenes for artistic inspiration. Her etchings often feature her beloved children and pets, as seen here.
Born in England, made prints in England
Printmaking activity: 1840 –1848
Queen Victoria was introduced to etching by her husband, Prince Albert, shortly after their marriage in 1840. The couple were taught by professional artists, including Sir George Hayter, and later, Edwin Landseer. These professionals were responsible for the more complicated parts of the printmaking process, such as biting the copper plates in acid. Though Victoria found etching to be a ‘fascinating but difficult process’, she produced 62 prints, compared to Albert’s 25. The couple also enjoyed collaborating on plates together and set up a printing press at Buckingham Palace.
These early prints reveal how etching was an ideal technique for curious amateurs who lacked formal training – they could ‘draw’ on the copper plate as they would a piece of paper. They also show how Queen Victoria, like many amateur women printmakers, turned to everyday domestic scenes for artistic inspiration. Her etchings often feature her beloved children and pets, as seen here.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Islay and Eos (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Etching on paper |
| Brief description | Print by H.M. Queen Victoria, depicting Islay and Eos, Victoria and Albert's pet dogs, etching, Britain, 1840. |
| Physical description | An etching depicting the heads of Islay and Eos, Victoria and Albert's pet dogs. Islay is a Skye Terrier and Eos is a Greyhound. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Credit line | Given by Mr P. G. Trendell |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Who was Queen Victoria? (1819 –1901) Born in England, made prints in England Printmaking activity: 1840 –1848 Queen Victoria was introduced to etching by her husband, Prince Albert, shortly after their marriage in 1840. The couple were taught by professional artists, including Sir George Hayter, and later, Edwin Landseer. These professionals were responsible for the more complicated parts of the printmaking process, such as biting the copper plates in acid. Though Victoria found etching to be a ‘fascinating but difficult process’, she produced 62 prints, compared to Albert’s 25. The couple also enjoyed collaborating on plates together and set up a printing press at Buckingham Palace. These early prints reveal how etching was an ideal technique for curious amateurs who lacked formal training – they could ‘draw’ on the copper plate as they would a piece of paper. They also show how Queen Victoria, like many amateur women printmakers, turned to everyday domestic scenes for artistic inspiration. Her etchings often feature her beloved children and pets, as seen here. |
| Bibliographic reference | Victoria & Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1932. London: HMSO, 1933. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.2176-1932 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | June 30, 2009 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
