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.

Exposé par :

Ben Uri Research Unit

Plus de Ben Uri Research Unit

Card Players , 1951-56
58 x 46 cm (h x w)
Oil on paper
Ben Uri Research Unit
Friends , 1951-58
75 x 55 cm (h x w)
Oil on paper
Ben Uri Research Unit
Waitress Resting , 1955
76 x 56 cm (h x w)
Oil on canvas
Ben Uri Research Unit
West Indian Porters , 1955
76 x 55 cm (h x w)
Oil on canvas
Ben Uri Research Unit
Middle Eastern Jew with Yellow Background , 1958
37 x 27 cm (h x w)
Oil on paper
Ben Uri Research Unit