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Lot Essay
Finished watercolours are relatively rare in Winterhalter's oeuvre. Although the artist the artist painted Alexandra, no double portrait of her with her sister is known to exist. This, and the fact that the present work is signed and dated, clearly suggest that it was intended as a finished work in its own right.
The sitters in this charming watercolour were the daughters of King Christian IX of Denmark. Princess Alexandra married the Prince of Wales in 1863, and her sister, Dagmar, married Tsar Alexander III of Russia, when she became known by her Russian Imperial name, Maria Feodorovna.
Princess Alexandra is shown wearing the Dagmar Necklace and Brooch, which were given to her on her wedding in 1863 by her uncle, King Frederick VII of Denmark. The portrait shows the simplified version of the jewellery suite, with the detachable enamelled Dagmar Cross replaced by a large pearl. The jewels are still in the Royal Collection, and were worn by Queen Elizabeth II on a State Visit to Denmark in 1957
The sitters in this charming watercolour were the daughters of King Christian IX of Denmark. Princess Alexandra married the Prince of Wales in 1863, and her sister, Dagmar, married Tsar Alexander III of Russia, when she became known by her Russian Imperial name, Maria Feodorovna.
Princess Alexandra is shown wearing the Dagmar Necklace and Brooch, which were given to her on her wedding in 1863 by her uncle, King Frederick VII of Denmark. The portrait shows the simplified version of the jewellery suite, with the detachable enamelled Dagmar Cross replaced by a large pearl. The jewels are still in the Royal Collection, and were worn by Queen Elizabeth II on a State Visit to Denmark in 1957