Location: Room VI – Dining room
This bust immortalises Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland (1819-1901) with a laurel wreath on her head, in the shape of a symbolic crown, embellished by roses and oak leaves. This polished, refined portrait is in parian porcelain, imitating the prized marble from the famous Greek island of Paros.
This composition can be attributed to one of the Queen’s favourite artists, Carlo Marochetti (Italy, 1805-1867), who won her favour thanks to his portrait of Albert, Prince Consort. Queen Victoria posed for multiple sittings with the artist in 1854, and a close relationship based on mutual understanding developed between them.
The result was a marble bust with particularly fine details, exhibited in 1856 at the Royal Academy of London, now kept at Buckingham Palace. The original sculpture became widely known thanks to copies such as this one, in parian porcelain by the renowned English manufacturer Minton & Co., the company that presented the sculpture’s prototype at the London International Exhibition in 1862.
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