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LaurenCDeutsch
LaurenCDeutsch
@laurencdeutsch.bsky.social
1 week ago
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wore in the same year to her visit in Paris. Clearly it was a style that the Queen favored and indeed indeed as you can see it looked great on her. #Fashionhistory #royalcollectiontrust

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Michael
Michael
@mdstamper.bsky.social
4 months ago
Royal Collection records identify Munni as a 16-year-old sweeper, or mehtrani, from Lahore in the Punjab region of British India (today in Pakistan), a worker from one of the lowest-ranked caste communities whose essential cleaning labor was often treated as socially “unclean” and disregarded. In 1886, Queen Victoria commissioned Austrian painter Rudolf Swoboda, born in Vienna in 1859, to travel through India and paint the peoples of her empire; over forty of these portraits, including Munni’s, were later hung together in the Durbar Corridor at Osborne House. The vertical panel shows a young South Asian girl in quiet profile, her body turned to the left (our right). A warm red tunic, edged with a narrow band of gold, wraps her torso and rises toward her neck, its rich color glowing against a plain, softly textured background. Large hoop earrings threaded with tiny glass beads catch the light, while her dark hair, partly covered, falls back in loose strands under a thin beige covering that extends across her body. Swoboda models her medium-brown skin with careful, naturalistic highlights along cheek, nose and lips, so that her features feel observed rather than idealized. The panel pulls us into an intimate distance, as if we’ve paused beside her in a brief, thoughtful stillness during her day. Swoboda had impressed the Queen with his portraits of “live” Indian artisans at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London and painted "Munni" on site from close observation, using oil on a small wooden panel to preserve fine details of clothing, jewelery and expression. Seen today, the work sits uneasily between imperial cataloguing and individual presence: commissioned to exemplify a “type,” Munni nevertheless appears as a specific teenager with a name, history and life. Her steady, gaze to the side invites us to recognize both the power inequalities that shaped her portrayal and the quiet dignity she maintains within them.

Royal Collection records identify Munni as a 16-year-old sweeper, or mehtrani, from Lahore in the Punjab region of British India (today in Pakistan), a worker from one of the lowest-ranked caste communities whose essential cleaning labor was often treated as socially “unclean” and disregarded. In 1886, Queen Victoria commissioned Austrian painter Rudolf Swoboda, born in Vienna in 1859, to travel through India and paint the peoples of her empire; over forty of these portraits, including Munni’s, were later hung together in the Durbar Corridor at Osborne House. The vertical panel shows a young South Asian girl in quiet profile, her body turned to the left (our right). A warm red tunic, edged with a narrow band of gold, wraps her torso and rises toward her neck, its rich color glowing against a plain, softly textured background. Large hoop earrings threaded with tiny glass beads catch the light, while her dark hair, partly covered, falls back in loose strands under a thin beige covering that extends across her body. Swoboda models her medium-brown skin with careful, naturalistic highlights along cheek, nose and lips, so that her features feel observed rather than idealized. The panel pulls us into an intimate distance, as if we’ve paused beside her in a brief, thoughtful stillness during her day. Swoboda had impressed the Queen with his portraits of “live” Indian artisans at the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in London and painted "Munni" on site from close observation, using oil on a small wooden panel to preserve fine details of clothing, jewelery and expression. Seen today, the work sits uneasily between imperial cataloguing and individual presence: commissioned to exemplify a “type,” Munni nevertheless appears as a specific teenager with a name, history and life. Her steady, gaze to the side invites us to recognize both the power inequalities that shaped her portrayal and the quiet dignity she maintains within them.

"Munni" by Rudolf Swoboda (Austrian) - Oil on panel / 1886–1888 - Royal Collection, Osborne House (Isle of Wight, UK) #WomenInArt #RudolfSwoboda #RudolfSwobodaderJüngere #Swoboda #art #artText #BlueskyArt #RoyalCollectionTrust #OsborneHouse #PortraitofaGirl #SouthAsianArt #IndianArt #AustrianArtist

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Michael
Michael
@mdstamper.bsky.social
6 months ago
During 1 of 6 trips to India between 1880 and 1891, Austrian artist Rudolf Swoboda created this head-and-shoulders portrait of a beautiful young South Asian woman against a warm brown ground. A dark veil edged with shimmering silver discs and tasseled lace frames her face and covers her hair, falling over both ears. She wears a pale pink tunic and layered jewelry: a choker with a red lozenge pendant and long necklaces of rectangular silver amulets. The young woman averts our gaze with downcast eyes to our left. Her full lips are at rest while a jeweled gold nose rings pierce her nostrils. Her smooth skin is softly lit, with highlights on the nose and left cheek. In 1886, the Austrian painter Rudolf Swoboda reached the subcontinent with a royal brief to record the “various types” of India for Queen Victoria of England. Over two years, he painted dozens of heads for the corridors at Osborne House, sparked by the Queen’s delight in his portraits of artisans at the 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition. Among them is this portrait of Naslej shown in the Durbar Corridor at Osborne House. His route on this trip ran via Afghanistan and Kashmir; in Lahore he encountered Naslej, a 19-year-old Muslim woman recently widowed. He paints her quietly with a veil with metallic discs, twin nose rings, and layered amulet necklaces that attend to particulars over costume types. For Naslej, the sitting fixed her presence at a moment of upheaval; for Swoboda, it fulfilled a commission that balanced ethnographic curiosity with humane portraiture. Swoboda worked for Victoria from 1885 to 1893 and later portrayed Abdul Karim, the Munshi. His Indian series of around 40 portraits remains a singular late-Victorian record of individual lives within an imperial frame.

During 1 of 6 trips to India between 1880 and 1891, Austrian artist Rudolf Swoboda created this head-and-shoulders portrait of a beautiful young South Asian woman against a warm brown ground. A dark veil edged with shimmering silver discs and tasseled lace frames her face and covers her hair, falling over both ears. She wears a pale pink tunic and layered jewelry: a choker with a red lozenge pendant and long necklaces of rectangular silver amulets. The young woman averts our gaze with downcast eyes to our left. Her full lips are at rest while a jeweled gold nose rings pierce her nostrils. Her smooth skin is softly lit, with highlights on the nose and left cheek. In 1886, the Austrian painter Rudolf Swoboda reached the subcontinent with a royal brief to record the “various types” of India for Queen Victoria of England. Over two years, he painted dozens of heads for the corridors at Osborne House, sparked by the Queen’s delight in his portraits of artisans at the 1886 Colonial and Indian Exhibition. Among them is this portrait of Naslej shown in the Durbar Corridor at Osborne House. His route on this trip ran via Afghanistan and Kashmir; in Lahore he encountered Naslej, a 19-year-old Muslim woman recently widowed. He paints her quietly with a veil with metallic discs, twin nose rings, and layered amulet necklaces that attend to particulars over costume types. For Naslej, the sitting fixed her presence at a moment of upheaval; for Swoboda, it fulfilled a commission that balanced ethnographic curiosity with humane portraiture. Swoboda worked for Victoria from 1885 to 1893 and later portrayed Abdul Karim, the Munshi. His Indian series of around 40 portraits remains a singular late-Victorian record of individual lives within an imperial frame.

"Naslej" by Rudolf Swoboda (Austrian) - Oil on panel / c. 1886-1888 - Royal Collection Trust (London, England) #WomenInArt #art #PortraitofaWoman #RCT #artwork #artText #RudolfSwoboda #Swoboda #AustrianArtist #IndianArt #BlueskyArt #RoyalCollectionTrust #poc #WomanPortrait #OilPainting #bskyart

77 9 1 0
Michael
Michael
@mdstamper.bsky.social
7 months ago
Sirinbai Ardeshir was a 14-year-old Parsi girl from Neemuch (or Nimach) in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh in central India. The Parsis (or Parsees) are a Zoroastrian ethnic group in the Indian subcontinent. They are descended from Persian refugees who migrated to the Indian subcontinent during and after the Arab-Islamic conquest of Iran in the 7th century, when Zoroastrians were persecuted by Muslims. The word Parsi is derived from the Persian language, and literally translates to Persian. This painting by Austrian artist Rudolf Swoboda is a close-up portrait of a young Sirinbai, focusing primarily on her face and upper body. Her skin tone is warm and her dark brown eyes are captivating, looking directly at us with an expression that blends serenity with a hint of underlying emotion as if she is about to ask or tell us something interesting. She wears a loose-fitting, pale pink robe. Her dark hair is neatly arranged, partially covered by a light-colored veil intricately adorned with dark floral and geometric patterns in muted blues, greens, and earth tones, particularly along a wide band that drapes down her chest. The paint application is somewhat visible, giving the piece a slightly impressionistic feel. The background is a plain, warm, golden-tan color, to contrast the cooler tones of her clothing and make Sirinbai stand out prominently. A small number "5" is visible in the lower left corner, likely a notation associated with the artwork's provenance or exhibition history. Swoboda was a 19th-century Austrian Orientalist painter. He was sometimes known as "Rudolf Swoboda The Younger," to distinguish him from his uncle Rudolf, who was also an artist. He studied under his father, Eduard Swoboda, and his uncle Leopold Carl Müller, who traveled with him to Egypt in 1880. His sister was the portrait painter Josefine Swoboda, known for her portraits of the British royal family. U.K. Queen Victoria personally paid Swoboda's way to paint in india from 1886-1888.

Sirinbai Ardeshir was a 14-year-old Parsi girl from Neemuch (or Nimach) in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh in central India. The Parsis (or Parsees) are a Zoroastrian ethnic group in the Indian subcontinent. They are descended from Persian refugees who migrated to the Indian subcontinent during and after the Arab-Islamic conquest of Iran in the 7th century, when Zoroastrians were persecuted by Muslims. The word Parsi is derived from the Persian language, and literally translates to Persian. This painting by Austrian artist Rudolf Swoboda is a close-up portrait of a young Sirinbai, focusing primarily on her face and upper body. Her skin tone is warm and her dark brown eyes are captivating, looking directly at us with an expression that blends serenity with a hint of underlying emotion as if she is about to ask or tell us something interesting. She wears a loose-fitting, pale pink robe. Her dark hair is neatly arranged, partially covered by a light-colored veil intricately adorned with dark floral and geometric patterns in muted blues, greens, and earth tones, particularly along a wide band that drapes down her chest. The paint application is somewhat visible, giving the piece a slightly impressionistic feel. The background is a plain, warm, golden-tan color, to contrast the cooler tones of her clothing and make Sirinbai stand out prominently. A small number "5" is visible in the lower left corner, likely a notation associated with the artwork's provenance or exhibition history. Swoboda was a 19th-century Austrian Orientalist painter. He was sometimes known as "Rudolf Swoboda The Younger," to distinguish him from his uncle Rudolf, who was also an artist. He studied under his father, Eduard Swoboda, and his uncle Leopold Carl Müller, who traveled with him to Egypt in 1880. His sister was the portrait painter Josefine Swoboda, known for her portraits of the British royal family. U.K. Queen Victoria personally paid Swoboda's way to paint in india from 1886-1888.

"Sirinbai Ardeshir" by Rudolf Swoboda (Austrian) - Oil on panel / 1886-1888 - Royal Collection Trust (London, England) #WomenInArt #art #PortraitofaWoman #RudolfSwoboda #Swoboda #AustrianArtist #artText #artwork #RCT #RoyalCollectionTrust #FineArt #IndianArt #BlueskyArt #ArtoftheDay #OilPainting

49 7 0 0
Royal Studies
Royal Studies
@royalstudies.bsky.social
10 months ago

#RoyalStudies #royal #portraits #portrait #portraiture #photography #photo #photos #exhibition #RoyalCollectionTrust #RCT #art #PrincessMargaret #ElizabethII #PrincePhilip #LordSnowdon #Snowdon #CecilBeaton

4/4

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Michael
Michael
@mdstamper.bsky.social
1 year ago
This portrait by Indian artist Raja Ravi Varma of a Maharani of Travancore in three-quarter length, facing slightly to the right is carrying a book-shaped casket in a dish; she wears a gold and cream strapless dress with a red and gold brocade shawl around her shoulders; she has two rings on her right hand, pearl necklaces, gold earrings, and a diamond pendant through her nose. The sitter is reportedly the sister of Visakham Thirunal Rama Varma, Maharaja of Travancore from 1880 to 1885. She is depicted holding a casket containing a loyal address from the ladies of Travancore to Queen Victoria on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee. The painting was presented to Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence on his visit to Travancore in 1889 and then first recorded at Windsor Castle within a year. Raja Ravi Varma was celebrated for his success in depicting scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana in a European academic style. He was influenced by French painters such as William-Adolphe Bouguereau and Gustave Boulanger. His exploitation of lithography to reproduce his paintings ensured that his work reached a mass market. Recognition in Europe came after he was awarded first prize in the Vienna Art Exhibition in 1873. Chiefly remembered for his paintings of shapely women in traditional costume, Varma is recognised as one of the greatest painters in the history of Indian art.

This portrait by Indian artist Raja Ravi Varma of a Maharani of Travancore in three-quarter length, facing slightly to the right is carrying a book-shaped casket in a dish; she wears a gold and cream strapless dress with a red and gold brocade shawl around her shoulders; she has two rings on her right hand, pearl necklaces, gold earrings, and a diamond pendant through her nose. The sitter is reportedly the sister of Visakham Thirunal Rama Varma, Maharaja of Travancore from 1880 to 1885. She is depicted holding a casket containing a loyal address from the ladies of Travancore to Queen Victoria on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee. The painting was presented to Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence on his visit to Travancore in 1889 and then first recorded at Windsor Castle within a year. Raja Ravi Varma was celebrated for his success in depicting scenes from the epics of the Mahabharata and Ramayana in a European academic style. He was influenced by French painters such as William-Adolphe Bouguereau and Gustave Boulanger. His exploitation of lithography to reproduce his paintings ensured that his work reached a mass market. Recognition in Europe came after he was awarded first prize in the Vienna Art Exhibition in 1873. Chiefly remembered for his paintings of shapely women in traditional costume, Varma is recognised as one of the greatest painters in the history of Indian art.

The Maharani of Travancore by Raja Ravi Varma (Indian) - Oil on canvas / 1887 - Royal Collection Trust (London, United Kingdom) #womeninart #portraitofawoman #womensart #art #oilpainting #RajaRaviVarma #IndianArt #artwork #varma #IndianArtist #RoyalCollectionTrust #RoyalCollection #beauty #artbsky

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Adrian Gibson
Adrian Gibson
@adrianpgibson.bsky.social
1 year ago
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The Edwardians are coming! Very excited for this 💛

#theedwardians #ageofelegance #newexhibition #thekingsgallery #buckinghampalace #history #art #royalcollectiontrust #comingsoon #london

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History of Portraiture
History of Portraiture
@oldportraiture.bsky.social
1 year ago
Post image

Gaetano #Ferri (1822-96)
Portrait of #VictorEmanuelII, King of Italy (1820-78), who was #BornOnThisDay
1856
#royalcollectiontrust

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Kate Strasdin
Kate Strasdin
@katestrasdin.bsky.social
1 year ago
A white crinoline style wedding dress with orange blossom and Honiton lace trimming the bodice above an otherwise plain skirt

A white crinoline style wedding dress with orange blossom and Honiton lace trimming the bodice above an otherwise plain skirt

A black and white photograph of Alexandra and Edward in their wedding outfits

A black and white photograph of Alexandra and Edward in their wedding outfits

Alexandra, Princess of Denmark, married Queen Victoria’s eldest son Edward Prince of Wales on this day in 1863. Her dress was remodelled within days of the ceremony so looks different now to its original construction. It glistens with a fine silver weft #royalcollectiontrust #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

48 3 0 0
Michael
Michael
@mdstamper.bsky.social
1 year ago
Emma Gaggiotti was born in Rome but spent most of her youth in Ancona (Italy), where she was a pupil of Nicola Consorti. While there she met an Englishman, Alfred Bate Richards, and, upon their marriage, moved to London where her talent was quickly recognized by a number of influential patrons. In 1850, Queen Victoria received the first of a series of four allegorical paintings by Richards (depicting Religion and the Three Theological Virtues, Faith, Hope, and Charity), commissioned by Prince Albert as gifts. It is likely that the Queen commissioned this self-portrait, presented to Prince Albert at Christmas 1853, having seen a version of it at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1851. Richards depicts herself with the attributes of her profession: a palette, a mahlstick, and a selection of brushes. She is dressed in black, a color not solely associated with mourning, but also favored by working women. Although by this date it had become acceptable for men to fashion themselves as dishevelled Bohemians in their self-portraits, Richards, as a female artist and therefore on the periphery of artistic acceptability, firmly sets herself within the historic, and therefore safe, tradition of self-portraiture established by artists during the Renaissance. Her solemn, intense expression and twisted, three-quarter length pose bring to mind the great self-portraitists of the past and thereby associate her with a long and illustrious line of serious and learned artists. In 1854, she returned to Italy, where she continued to paint landscapes and mythological scenes.

Emma Gaggiotti was born in Rome but spent most of her youth in Ancona (Italy), where she was a pupil of Nicola Consorti. While there she met an Englishman, Alfred Bate Richards, and, upon their marriage, moved to London where her talent was quickly recognized by a number of influential patrons. In 1850, Queen Victoria received the first of a series of four allegorical paintings by Richards (depicting Religion and the Three Theological Virtues, Faith, Hope, and Charity), commissioned by Prince Albert as gifts. It is likely that the Queen commissioned this self-portrait, presented to Prince Albert at Christmas 1853, having seen a version of it at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1851. Richards depicts herself with the attributes of her profession: a palette, a mahlstick, and a selection of brushes. She is dressed in black, a color not solely associated with mourning, but also favored by working women. Although by this date it had become acceptable for men to fashion themselves as dishevelled Bohemians in their self-portraits, Richards, as a female artist and therefore on the periphery of artistic acceptability, firmly sets herself within the historic, and therefore safe, tradition of self-portraiture established by artists during the Renaissance. Her solemn, intense expression and twisted, three-quarter length pose bring to mind the great self-portraitists of the past and thereby associate her with a long and illustrious line of serious and learned artists. In 1854, she returned to Italy, where she continued to paint landscapes and mythological scenes.

A Self-Portrait by Emma Gaggiotti Richards - Oil on canvas / 1853 - Royal Collection Trust (London, England) #womeninart #art #womanartist #portraitofawoman #oilpainting #selfportrait #RoyalCollectionTrust #womensart #EmmaGaggiottiRichards #RCT #artwork #femaleartist #womenpaintingwomen #portrait

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Adrian Gibson
Adrian Gibson
@adrianpgibson.bsky.social
1 year ago
Post image

When I saw this drawing I was struck by how modern it looked, like it was painted yesterday. In fact it is over 500 years old, Attributed to Pietro Faccini C.1590. Currently on display at the Kings Gallery as part of the Drawing The Renaissance exhibition 🤯

#headofayouth #royalcollectiontrust

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Kate Strasdin
Kate Strasdin
@katestrasdin.bsky.social
1 year ago
White satin sleeveless evening dress with a Watteau style pleat of emerald

White satin sleeveless evening dress with a Watteau style pleat of emerald

I am writing about Norman Hartnell for my current book chapter and today I was able to see a whole host of things he created, held in a private collection. It has been a total treat. Thank you Claire and Karina, what a day! This 1960 Hartnell #royalcollectiontrust #FashionHistory 🗃️🪡

101 5 4 0
@kennethconway.bsky.social
1 year ago
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“Ramsgate Sands (Life at the Seaside).” William Powell Frith (British; 1819–1909). Oil on canvas, 1851–4. Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2017.

#ramsgatesands
#williampowellfrith
#frith
#royalcollectiontrust
@royalcollectiontrust

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Annesley Studio
Annesley Studio
@annesleystudio.bsky.social
1 year ago

3/3 For the history of the collection visit en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_C...
#royalcollectiontrust
#windsorcastle
#canadianartist
#jenniferannesley
#royalcollection
#historicarchitecture
#watercolor

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Annesley Studio
Annesley Studio
@annesleystudio.bsky.social
1 year ago

3/3 For the history of the collection visit en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_C... #royalcollectiontrust #windsorcastle #canadianartist #jenniferannesley #royalcollection #historicarchitecture #watercolor

5 0 1 0
@kennethconway.bsky.social
1 year ago
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“Summer Amusement at Margate, or a Peep at the Mermaids.” Thomas Rowlandson (British; 1757–1827). Hand-colored etching, 1813. Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2014.

#thomasrowlandson
#Rowlandson
#Margate
#royalcollectiontrust
#royalcollection
@royalcollectiontrust

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