Queen Victoria, Prince Albert's etchings to go public

The artistic connection of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, two towering figures of British history, will be seen in a free British Museum exhibition here, where rare etchings depicting their domestic life would be on display.

The etchings done by the royal couple would show the early years of their marriage, and would mark the bicentenary of both their births, The Telegraph reported. The exhibition is titled "At Home: Royal Etchings by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert".

The etchings -- a type of printmaking involving drawing on a metal plate -- were completed by Victoria and Albert in the 1840s, and museum curators say they show the royals "in a completely different light".

The British Museum said the royals were "talented and enthusiastic amateur artists" whose works were often collaborations, with some of the etchings by Albert based on Victoria's earlier drawings.

"The display will consist of 20 artworks by the couple, often depicting domestic scenes of their life in Windsor and Claremont and featuring their children and pets," it reported.

The royals had only wanted their artworks to be seen by close friends and family, but Queen Victoria's grandson King George V donated them to the Museum in 1926.

As per Telegraph, Sheila O'Connell, curator of prints and drawings at the British Museum, said: "As parents, both Victoria and Albert have been much criticised, but these images show them in a completely different light.

"The scenes Victoria depicts in her drawings show her to be a very affectionate mother, and it's clear that both she and Albert enjoyed spending time with their children."

The exhibit, which begins July 18 and runs till September, will mark the first time they have been on public display.

--IANS

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