Queen Victoria
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Queen Victoria” now? Victoria and Albert Museum, British Galleries, Room 123, London. Yes, on view now. Checked October 12, 2026.
Closed· opens tomorrow at 10:00 AM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the sculpture
Object Type
This marble bust of Queen Victoria (reigned 1837-1901) shows her dressed simply, although her royal status is indicated by the royal coat of arms on the front of the socle (base). The bust was made six years after her accession to the throne by a German sculptor possibly known to her husband, Prince Albert (1819-1861). The exact circumstances for the commission are unknown.
People
The sculptor of the bust, Johann Jacob Flatters (1786-1845), was born in the German city of Krefeld, but trained at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts) in Paris, under the French artists Jean-Antoine Houdon (1741-1828) and Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825). He exhibited at the Salon in Paris from 1810 to 1839 and was created a member of the Legion of Honour. He settled in London in 1842 and exhibited at the Royal Academy there in that year. He was also known as a book illustrator.
Read on
Materials & Making
Marble busts were among the most popular and prestigious types of public portrait in Britain during the Victorian period. The marble, a relatively expensive material, was imported, usually from Italy via the Netherlands, since there are no marble quarries in Britain. Aspiring artists might also learn the skill of carving marble abroad, where they would probably gain their most important training assisting an established sculptor.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Details
- Accession number
- A.36-1952
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Victoria and Albert Museum
- Image: Victoria and Albert Museum — © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
