Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-73)

Photograph of a half length portrait of the artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-73), standing, facing towards the camera. He poses with his right arm extended, possibly placed on the back of a chair. He wears a doubled breasted frock coat

Winterhalter was Queen Victoria's principal portrait painter and he is seen here posing for his fellow countryman Dr Ernst Becker, Prince Albert's Librarian. Before the end of the 1850s photography had been practised by a relatively small number of people and having a portrait taken 'from life' was for most an uncommon experience. In this photograph, taken at Buckingham Palace during one of his numerous visits to Britain, the artist seems to experiment with his pose both reminiscent of traditional poses in portraits by artists such as Batoni or Reynolds and unconventional in his gazing beyond the camera, set by Becker at a low angle.