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1 of 253523 objects
Charles Landseer (1799-1879)
Billy Duff Sep 1844
Pencil, watercolour and bodycolour | 25.2 x 17.6 cm (whole object) | RCIN 920774
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A watercolour portrait of Billy Duff, who sits on a rock, pipe in mouth and wearing a Murray of Atholl kilt, with his dog asleep beneath his legs.
On their second visit to Scotland in September 1844, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed at Blair Castle in Perthshire, the seat of the Duke of Atholl. William Duff was one of the Atholl Highlanders, who formed the Queen's Guard during her visit. See RCIN 920720 for a portrait of Billy Duff by Kenneth Macleay painted for Queen Victoria (as part of a portrait series of Highlanders) twenty-two years later.
This watercolour is one of four painted by Charles Landseer relating to the Blair Castle visit (see also RCINs 919542 and 920775; the fourth is untraced and was never mounted in the View Albums). Landseer was the elder brother of the famed animal painter Edwin Landseer who enjoyed much royal patronage, but Charles only received this one royal commission.
This watercolour was originally mounted in View Album II. Queen Victoria and Prince Albert compiled nine View Albums during their marriage. These albums contained watercolours and drawings documenting their life together and were arranged in chronological order. The albums were dismantled in the early twentieth century and rebound in new volumes both in a different arrangement and with additional items, but a written record of their original contents and arrangement still exists.Provenance
Commissioned by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert for their View Albums
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Creator(s)
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Medium and techniques
Pencil, watercolour and bodycolour
Measurements
25.2 x 17.6 cm (whole object)
Other number(s)
RL 20774
