bavarikon4UNoël, Alphonse Léon: Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred 1849 (in tartan skirt, with dog, in front of mountainous landscape)
Appearances can deceive. Although the landscape in the background of the double portrait refers to the Scottish Highlands, the painting on which the lithograph is based actually originated in London. The portrait sessions were commissioned by Queen Victoria in the spring of 1849. As a birthday present for Prince Albert in May, Franz Xaver Winterhalter was to portray the nine year old heir to the throne Albert Edward (“Bertie”) and the five year old Alfred (“Affie”) in Scottish costume with kilt and plaid. Victoria and Albert had a weakness for the diversity of the Scottish check pattern. They designed their own tartans and lavishly furbished Balmoral Castle, which they managed to purchase in 1855, with plaid fabrics. On a second double portrait, which Winterhalter created at the same time, “Affie”, the future Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, appears again in a black and white plaid costume. On this occasion he did not pose calmly, but played wildly with his younger sister “Lenchen”. The Royal Collection keeps both Winterhalter paintings and several prints of the lithograph and etching. Victoria also had children’s portrait miniatures on ivory made after the two paintings.