In May 1865, four years after the death of Prince Albert, the Queen was ‘seized with a great wish’ to have Landseer compose a pair of paintings – Sunshine and Shadow – to illustrate the contrast between ‘that bright happy time’ she had enjoyed during Albert’s lifetime with the grief she was enduring since his death.

The counterpart to Sunshine (RCIN 450382), Shadow depicts Queen Victoria ‘as I am now, sad & lonely, seated on my pony, led by Brown, with a representation of Osborne’. The Queen is in deep mourning, reading a letter, seated on her pony, Flora, who is held by John Brown. Behind is the terrace at Osborne. On the ground lie the Queen’s gloves and letters and she is accompanied by two dogs, a Border collie (probably Sharp) and a Skye terrier called Prince. Princess Louise and Princess Helena are sitting in the background with a terrier.

As well as several sittings from life, Landseer was provided with photographs of the Queen on horseback, the two Princesses, Prince (Princess Louise’s dog) and John Brown, all taken by local photographer Jabez Hughes at Osborne in May and July 1865. Landseer subsequently stated: ‘If there is any merit in my treatment of the composition it is in the truthful and unaffected representation of Her Majesty’s unceasing grief’. Landseer also made an oil painting of the same subject (RCIN 403580) and a copy of this pastel was made in oils by Gilbert Sprague (RCIN 405456).