Solomon Alexander Hart 1806-1881
Portrait of Queen Victoria
oil on canvas
119.5 x 77.5
2015-16
Photo: Ben Uri Gallery
Hart's 'Portrait of Queen Victoria', wearing the badge of her office (the Order of the Garter), emphasises both her youth and her imperial authority. It is highly unlikely to have...
Hart's 'Portrait of Queen Victoria', wearing the badge of her office (the Order of the Garter), emphasises both her youth and her imperial authority. It is highly unlikely to have been a commission, as a little stiffness to the figure indicates. Painted five years into Victoria’s reign and two years into Hart’s Academicianship, it conveys his social and artistic integration with Britain, and as the first Jewish Royal Academicia, identifyies him with the ultimate symbol of the establishment. It can also be seen as a self-portrait – the outsider as insider – signifying Hart’s achievements as a painter and perhaps satisfying his aspirations of belonging to the British establishment and the artistic elite.
Provenance
on long term loan to the Ben Uri CollectionLiterature
Rachel Dickson and Sarah MacDougall, eds., 'Out of Chaos: Ben Uri; 100 Years in London' (London: Ben Uri Gallery, 2015) pp. 24-25,Be the first to know – Sign Up
Subscribe to our newsletter and be the first to know about everything new at Ben Uri, including the constantly evolving and expansive online content across our exhibitions, collection and research.
We value and respect your privacy. Your personal data will be kept private and processed securely, according to our Privacy Policy. If you change your mind anytime, you can unsubscribe directly when receiving a mail from us (the link will be at the bottom of the email) or contact us.
* denotes required fields
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you are not happy with this, you can opt-out below.