Magdalena Ross was the second daughter of William Ross, miniature painter, and Maria Smith, and younger sister of Sir William Ross, Miniature Painter to Queen Victoria. Trained as a miniaturist by her father, she exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1820  to 1856  and styled herself ‘Miniature Painter to the Queen’ from 1850. She also produced watercolour copies of her brother William’s work for Queen Victoria, and some of these remain in the Royal Collection. A miniature of her by Sir William Ross is in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (281-1875). Magdalena Dalton's copy is based on a miniature by her brother, Sir William Ross, showing Queen Louise three-quarter-length in the gardens at Laeken, painted in 1840 (present location unknown). Queen Victoria’s uncle Leopold I, King of the Belgians, distraught after the premature death of Queen Louise in 1850, wrote to Queen Victoria: ‘Who has the miniature [of the late Queen] by Ross with red ribbons in her hair?’ to which the Queen responded: ‘The picture by Ross – the first with black lace the Queen [Marie-Amelie of France] has. I have 2 small Copies of it – Mamma has one & Ross had himself 2. The one I got for Clém [Princess Augustus of Saxe-Coburg], & the other, the largest of the 2, the same size as the original, he has still got. Tell me if you wish me to do anything about it for you’. Inscribed on the reverse in ink: painted by Miss / Magdalen [sic] Ross / from a Miniature / by W.C. Ross ARA / Miniature Painter / to The Queen / London 1840. A label detached from the miniature reads, probably in the artist’s handwriting: London 1840 / Painted by Miss M Ross / from the Miniature by / W.C. Ross ARA / Miniature Painter / to / The Queen.