Another impression of RCIN 816208. An etching showing two studies of Victoria, Princess Royal dressed in eighteenth century costume. After RCIN 981592. In the study to the left she is shown full length, facing left in profile and is holding a closed fan in one hand. In the study to the right she is shown full-length from behind. Inscribed below: Victoria Jun. February 10. 1843.
Inscribed lower left: VR 26/2 1843.

Queen Victoria's first etching was made on 28 August 1840, under the guidance of Sir George Hayter who was working on his oil painting of the marriage of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (RCIN 407165) at the time.

Hayter was responsible for the acid-biting of all of the early plates but was soon replaced in this task by Queen Victoria's dresser, Marianne Skerrett. The London dealers and publishers Colnaghi & Co were also used for some of the more complicated plates. A printing press was set up at Buckingham Palace in 1840 by the firm of Holdgate but some of the royal couple's plates were also printed by a Mr Brown of Castle-Street, Windsor, in the autumn of that year

Queen Victoria's first child Victoria, Princess Royal was born on 21 November 1840. The nursery life of the growing brood of royal children offered the young queen a wealth of inspiration for her own painting, drawing and etching. The Princess Royal was dressed in this costume by her mother, Queen Victoria as a surprise for her father, Prince
Albert on the occasion of their third wedding anniversary. Queen Victoria took elements of two drawings she had made at the time (RCINs 980024.x and 980024.y) and combined them to make the preparatory drawing for this etching (RCIN 981592) at a later date.

Scott-Elliott no. 55