Painting HMY Victoria & Albert First Royal Steam Yacht Off Osborne House C1852





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Description


British School, Circa 1852

HMY Victoria and Albert (I) off Osborne House

Early Victorian Royal Marine Watercolour | In the Manner of Nicholas Matthews Condy

Highlights

• Early Victorian watercolour depicting Britain’s first steam-propelled royal yacht.

• HMY Victoria and Albert shown underway off Osborne House, Isle of Wight.

• Traditionally dated to circa 1852 from the vessel’s configuration and associated research.

• The Solent is animated with spectator boats, cutters and sailing yachts.

• Osborne House appears above the East Cowes shoreline.

• Painted in the manner of marine artist Nicholas Matthews Condy.

• Original 1989 correspondence from the National Maritime Museum and Royal Archives mounted verso.

• Historic provenance from Mr Dovey of Mid Glamorgan and a Cardiff private collection.

• Retains an old Rogers Jones & Co. auction label numbered “402.”

• Recently presented in a Larson-Juhl gilt frame with Artglass AR 70 glazing.

Introduction

A finely observed early Victorian marine watercolour depicting HMY Victoria and Albert, the first British steam-propelled royal yacht, underway in the Solent off Osborne House.

The royal yacht is presented in broadside view, her paddle boxes, three masts and single funnel clearly articulated. Numerous open boats, cutters and yachts crowd the surrounding water, suggesting a regatta, naval review or ceremonial gathering off the East Cowes shoreline.

The painting is accompanied by original correspondence from the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle, both dating from 1989. These letters discuss the identity and configuration of the vessel, providing valuable institutional research concerning the subject.

Catalogue Details

Artist: British School

Date: Circa 1852

Attribution: In the manner of Nicholas Matthews Condy (1818–1851)

Title: HMY Victoria and Albert (I) off Osborne House

Medium: Watercolour on paper

Signature: No visible signature

Location: The Solent off Osborne House, East Cowes, Isle of Wight

Subject: HMY Victoria and Albert, launched in 1843

Presentation: Larson-Juhl gilt frame with white mount, gold border and Artglass AR 70 glazing

Catalogue Note

The composition is arranged around the imposing broadside profile of HMY Victoria and Albert.

Her ornate paddle boxes, three masts, rigging and single funnel are described with the precision expected of a skilled Victorian marine draughtsman. A modest trail of smoke indicates steam propulsion, while the yacht’s remaining sailing rig reflects the transitional technology of the period.

Small craft fill the foreground. Open rowing boats and cutters carry numerous figures who appear to have gathered to watch the royal yacht pass. More distant vessels extend across the Solent, contributing depth, movement and the atmosphere of a public maritime occasion.

At the far left, the pale façade and towers of Osborne House rise above a dark band of trees. This architectural landmark establishes the setting off East Cowes and connects the marine scene directly with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s Isle of Wight residence.

The artist combines fine linear detail in the ships and rigging with gentle watercolour washes across the sky and sea. Restrained touches of colour enliven the boats and figures without distracting from the royal yacht.

HMY Victoria And Albert

Designed by Sir William Symonds and built at Pembroke Dock, HMY Victoria and Albert was launched in April 1843.

She was the first British steam-propelled royal yacht. Her wooden hull measured approximately 200 feet in length, and her twin paddle engines developed around 430 horsepower.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert made extensive use of the yacht for voyages around Britain and to Continental ports. She represented both technological progress and the increasingly visible ceremonial role of the monarchy.

The vessel was subsequently lengthened and modified before being renamed HMY Osborne in 1854. She continued in service until 1867 and was broken up the following year.

The present watercolour shows her before the change of name, supporting an early 1850s date.

Flags And Interpretation Of The Event

The vessel appears to fly a fouled-anchor Admiralty flag from the mainmast and a red ensign at the stern. No Royal Standard is visibly displayed.

The 1989 correspondence attached to the reverse discusses these flags and suggests that the yacht may have been acting in an Admiralty, flagship or reviewing capacity rather than carrying Queen Victoria at that particular moment.

The numerous surrounding craft indicate a public maritime spectacle. This may have been connected with a Cowes regatta, Royal Yacht Squadron gathering or naval review, although no exact event has presently been identified.

The scene should therefore be catalogued as a ceremonial or sporting gathering in the Solent rather than assigned conclusively to a specific regatta.

Osborne House And The Solent

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert acquired the Osborne estate in the 1840s and transformed it into their private seaside residence.

Its position above the East Cowes shoreline gave the Royal Family direct access to the Solent and made the surrounding waters an important setting for royal arrivals, departures and naval displays.

The inclusion of Osborne House is consequently more than a topographical detail. It establishes the painting within the personal world of Victoria and Albert while reinforcing the yacht’s role as both a working vessel and a symbol of modern monarchy.

The Artist

The watercolour is catalogued as British School, circa 1852, in the manner of Nicholas Matthews Condy.

Nicholas Matthews Condy (1818–1851) was a British marine painter known for detailed ship portraits and coastal scenes. His understanding of hull construction, rigging and maritime activity allowed him to combine technical clarity with lively narrative incident.

Condy painted royal yachts and other notable vessels, including a documented representation of the Royal Yacht in Plymouth Sound in 1843.

The present watercolour shares the crisp draughtsmanship, careful vessel portraiture and animated foreground craft associated with Condy’s work. It is not offered as a painting by Condy, whose death in 1851 also makes direct authorship incompatible with the traditional circa 1852 dating.

Provenance And Exhibition History

Mr Dovey, Mid Glamorgan, recorded in 1989.

Original research correspondence from the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and the Royal Archives, Windsor Castle, dated 1989.

Subsequently privately exhibited at the Famous Lord Hill Museum under the title HMY Victoria & Albert off Osborne House – A Royal Yacht in the Solent.

Private collection, Cardiff.

Old Rogers Jones & Co. auction label numbered “402” retained on the backboard.

Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.

Dimensions

Framed: 62 cm wide × 52 cm high × 3.5 cm deep

Framing And Documentation

Recently professionally refitted within a decorative gilt Larson-Juhl frame.

A new white mount with gold border provides a clean visual separation between the image and frame. Artglass AR 70 low-reflection glazing reduces glare and provides enhanced protection against light exposure.

The original 1989 letters from the National Maritime Museum and Royal Archives are mounted to the reverse and remain an important part of the painting’s documentary history.

A hanging cord is fitted, and the picture is ready for immediate display.

Condition Report

The watercolour is in good antique condition consistent with its mid-19th-century date.

The paper displays light, even age toning and occasional small areas of foxing visible under close inspection. The colours remain pleasing, and the principal elements—including the yacht, surrounding craft and Osborne House—are clearly legible.

No obvious tears, major losses or excessive restoration are visible from the front during ordinary framed inspection.

The Larson-Juhl frame and recently fitted mount present very well, with only minimal handling marks.

The painting has not been examined outside its frame. Please inspect all photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the condition description.



Reserve: $7,020.00

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