A Drawing Room at St. James’s Palace in the Reign of Queen Victoria

Location

Country: UK
City: London
Place: Government Hospitality, Lancaster House

Ladies were presented to the Queen several times a year during Victoria’s reign, at ‘Drawing Rooms’, as depicted here. While women wait to meet the Queen, holding a card with their name on it, Victoria stands beneath a canopy with Albert. The Marchioness of Carmarthen kneels before her, kissing her hand. To the right of Victoria the Lord in Waiting holds the Marchioness’s card and announces her to the Queen. The events were conducted mostly in silence. After kissing the hand of Her Majesty, ladies were required to rise and walk backwards, while extending the left arm. The attendant behind draped the train over the arm and ladies carried it as they left.

This work contains over 50 portraits of figures, including the Prince of Wales, the Marchioness of Carmarthen, the Duchess of Wellington, Lord Clyde and Lord Palmerston. The artist was able to arrange sittings from at least some of those depicted and also gained access to the relevant room of St James’s Palace. The original painting toured the country for several years, displayed at private galleries in Bristol, London, Exeter and Liverpool, where visitors were charged an entrance fee to see it. The whereabouts of this painting is now unknown.

Jerry Barrett was a historical, genre and portrait painter, initially based in Brighton. He travelled to Scutari, Turkey, to paint ‘Florence Nightingale Receiving the Wounded at Scutari’ (1857; National Portrait Gallery), although Nightingale refused to sit for the work. From about 1854 he lived in London. In 1859 his wife, Henrietta, died aged just 30, perhaps during childbirth. In 1872 he travelled on the continent and visited Rome. Shortly after his return he settled near Regent’s Park. However, his home was damaged when a barge carrying gunpowder exploded by Regents Canal in 1874. He continued to work from the same address until at least 1885, showing works at the Royal Academy, British Institution and Royal Society of British Artists.
Frederick Stacpoole was the son of a lieutenant in the Royal Navy. He was educated in Ghent, Belgium, before entering the Royal Academy Schools, London. Early in his career he abandoned painting for engraving, producing mixed method engravings, which combine etching, line engraving and stipple techniques. He became the leading engraver of his time for his print after Holman Hunt’s ‘The Shadow of Death’, published in 1878. His work was exhibited at the Society of British Artists (1841-45; member from 1841) and the Royal Academy (1841-99; associate member from 1880). During the last ten years of his career, as photomechanical methods of reproduction reduced demand for hand-engraved plates, he returned to painting. He died in Putney, aged 95.

People

Victoria (1819 - 1901), Prince, Duke of Edinburgh Alfred (1844 - 1900)

Places

England, London, St. James's Palace

Subjects

painting (as Subject), topography, female portrait, royal portrait, male portrait, group portrait, man, woman, 19th century costume, dress, military uniform, stockings, breeches, chandelier, basket, throne, coat of arms, Queen, soldier, palace

Materials & Techniques

engraving

Artist

Jerry Barrett (1824 - 1906)
Frederick Stacpoole (1813 - 1907)

Title

A Drawing Room at St. James’s Palace in the Reign of Queen Victoria

Date

published 1 February 1869

Medium

Engraving

Acquisition

Purchased from Christopher Wood Gallery, January 1980

GAC number

14895