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The Royal Portrait

Print
ca. 1845 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
This is a music sheet cover with a portrait of the young Queen Victoria and her family, printed by colour lithography.

Historical Association
The popularity of the young Queen Victoria coincided with a period when large numbers of illustrated music sheets were being published. There were therefore many with images of the Queen and, after her marriage in 1840, of Prince Albert, either as portraits or at particular events.

People
The company D’Almaine & Co. were was founded by Thomas D’Almaine and made musical instruments as well as printing and publishing music, in partnership with Thomas Mackinlay from the 1840s. The business operated from Soho Square, London from about 1834 until about 1858.

Ownership & Use
The popularity of sheet music was partly due to the increase in domestic ownership of pianos, particularly after the introduction of upright pianos in about 1827. 'Pianomania' apparently began to spread among the middle-income levels of society during the 1840s, providing a market for the relatively expensive sheet music.

Object details

Category
Object type
TitleThe Royal Portrait (published title)
Materials and techniques
Lithograph
Brief description
Music sheet cover, 'Royal Portrait', lithograph; British, ca. 1845.
Physical description
Music sheet cover consisting of a central Royal family portrait of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and three of their daughers surrounded by a trompe l'oeil arched frame in blue, red and gold decoration featuring acanthus, festoons and cherubs. Side panels also decorated in trompe l'oeil style against a dark blue background with fleur-de-lis gold pattern, featuring gold-coloured urns vignette portraits - (left) Queen Victoria and (right) Prince Albert - in oval gold-coloured frame inset with coat of arms. The portraits are greyscale but certain features of dress are accented with blue, red, and gold, namely sashes, shoes, a cushion and hat feather, the Queen's blue dress in the family portrait, Albert's red military jacket in the vignette portrait.
Dimensions
  • Height: 12.8cm
  • Width: 7.8cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • THE ROYAL PORTRAIT (Top of image, written in the arch above the central image)
  • Fourth Edition (Above the image, centred, intersected by the top of the arch.)
  • Ellen Sarah Hitch (Written in ink above the image, towards the right)
  • QUADRILLED / COMPOSED BY / RICARDO LINTER. / No. 1 QUEEN VICTORIA, No. 2 PRINCE ALBERT (Below the central image.)
  • Ent. Sta. Hall. (Lower left corner)
  • LONDON D’ALMAINE & Co. SOHO SQUARE. (Centre, bottom of image)
  • Single 3/. Duets 4/. (Lower right corner)
  • Printed at Lithc. Press of D’Almaine & Co. 20, Soho Sq. (Below image in lower margin, centred.)
Gallery label
(10/06/2014)
MUSIC SHEET for 'The Royal Portrait, Quadrilles'
About 1845

The popularity of the young Queen was apparent in the many music sheets bearing her portrait that were published in the 1840s. Music sheets were amongst the earliest printed media to exploit the technique of colour lithography.

Colour lithograph, inks on paper
Published by D’Almaine & Co., London

Given by H.C. Andrews

Museum no. E.2637-1914
Credit line
Given by H.C. Andrews
Subjects depicted
Summary
Object Type
This is a music sheet cover with a portrait of the young Queen Victoria and her family, printed by colour lithography.

Historical Association
The popularity of the young Queen Victoria coincided with a period when large numbers of illustrated music sheets were being published. There were therefore many with images of the Queen and, after her marriage in 1840, of Prince Albert, either as portraits or at particular events.

People
The company D’Almaine & Co. were was founded by Thomas D’Almaine and made musical instruments as well as printing and publishing music, in partnership with Thomas Mackinlay from the 1840s. The business operated from Soho Square, London from about 1834 until about 1858.

Ownership & Use
The popularity of sheet music was partly due to the increase in domestic ownership of pianos, particularly after the introduction of upright pianos in about 1827. 'Pianomania' apparently began to spread among the middle-income levels of society during the 1840s, providing a market for the relatively expensive sheet music.
Collection
Accession number
E.2637-1914

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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