Rizna Mutmainah
Art

Drawings by teen Queen Victoria to go up for auction

A set of 19th century drawings made by a teenage Queen Victoria will be put up for sale at the Old Master, British and European Pictures auction in Roseberys, London next week. 

A few of the sketches were made when the royal - who reigned from 1837 until her death in 1901 - was still a princess and just 14 years old. 

Dated July 1833, the drawings depict a knight, a woman, and a veiled woman on a horseback. 

The fourth drawing was made a year after she ascended the throne, and depicted a woman sitting with a crown and sash, similar to herself, with the inscription: "by Her Majesty." 

Charlotte Russell, Head of Sales at the auction house, said: "These slightly early drawings show that maybe she was still learning a lot, that she was still honing her craft." 

"She was very curious and keen as an artist," Russell told CNN.

Roseberys set an estimated sale price of £1,500 to £2,500 ($AU2853 to $4755) for the album with the four sketches, as well as works by other artists.  

Russel added that the album was likely assembled by Augusta Hayter, daughter-in-law of George Hayter, who was the Queen's court painter and painted her coronation portrait. 

The album also features royal ephemera, including an invitation to the coronation of King George IV at Westminster Abbey in 1821.

"I'm interested to see how it performs," Russell said. 

Queen Victoria was very passionate about art, receiving her first drawing lesson at just eight years old. 

She went on to be tutored by renowned artists like Edwin Landseer, William Leighton Leitch and Franz Xaver Winterhalter.

"She is known to have experimented quite a lot with different subjects," Russel said, adding that Victoria would make "little sketches of costumes of people in the areas" where she travelled.

Images: Roseberys Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers via CNN/ Shutterstock

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Art, Royals