Another impression of RCIN 816181. An etching showing two peasant women, after Sir Edwin Landseer. The elderly woman to the left is shown full-length, standing and leaning on crutches. The woman to the right is shown full-length, from behind, bending down to pick up a basket.
Inscribed lower left: Albert. 13/1 1842. after E. Landseer.

Prince Albert'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.

From 1842 the royal couple were also tutored by Sir Edwin Landseer, whose designs they sometimes copied.

Scott-Elliott no. 82