Portrait of Queen Victoria , 1842
119.5 x 77.5 cm (h x w)
Oil on canvas

Hart's 'Portrait of Queen Victoria', wearing the badge of her office (the Order of the Garter), emphasises both her youth and her imperial authority. It is highly unlikely to have been a commission, as a little stiffness to the figure indicates. Painted five years into Victoria’s reign and two years into Hart’s Academicianship, it conveys his social and artistic integration with Britain, and as the first Jewish Royal Academicia, identifyies him with the ultimate symbol of the establishment. It can also be seen as a self-portrait – the outsider as insider – signifying Hart’s achievements as a painter and perhaps satisfying his aspirations of belonging to the British establishment and the artistic elite.

Exhibited by:

Ben Uri Research Unit

More from Ben Uri Research Unit

Self-Portrait with Pipe , 1926
64 x 54 cm (h x w)
Oil on canvas
Ben Uri Research Unit
The Prodigal Son , 1943
152 x 66 cm (h x w)
Oil on canvas
Ben Uri Research Unit
The Circus Trainer , 1935
97 x 70.8 cm (h x w)
Gouache on board
Ben Uri Research Unit
Power , 1933
63 x 48 cm (h x w)
Chalk and pastel on brown paper
Ben Uri Research Unit
Draperies , 1939
103 x 129 cm (h x w)
Oil on canvas
Ben Uri Research Unit