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

HMY ‘Victoria and Albert’ – First Royal Steam Yacht off Osborne House c.1852
19th Century British Marine Watercolour in the Manner of Nicholas Condy
Subject & Medium
A fine early Victorian British School watercolour on paper depicting HMY Victoria and Albert (I), the first British royal steam yacht, underway off Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. The scene shows the royal yacht steaming through the Solent on a busy day, surrounded by small craft and yachts – a classic mid-19th-century marine subject with strong royal, naval and Cowes / Isle of Wight interest.
Composition & Technique
The composition is arranged around the broadside view of HMY Victoria and Albert, her ornate paddle boxes, three masts and single funnel clearly defined as she moves through a gently animated sea.
In the foreground, open boats and cutters crowded with small figures have rowed out to witness the spectacle of the royal yacht passing by. Further vessels occupy the middle distance, adding depth and a sense of bustle across the Solent.
To the far left, above a band of trees, Osborne House is clearly visible with its long stuccoed façade and towers, firmly fixing the view off the East Cowes shoreline.
Executed in transparent watercolour, the work combines fine, controlled line in the hulls and rigging with soft atmospheric washes in the sky and water. Small, judicious touches of colour enliven the figures and boats without overwhelming the central ship portrait.
About the Ship
The vessel depicted is HMY Victoria and Albert (I), launched in 1843 as the first purpose-built steam royal yacht for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Combining a full sailing rig with side paddle wheels driven by steam, she embodied a new era of royal travel and stood as a visible symbol of modernity and British maritime power.
In 1854 she was rebuilt and renamed HMY Osborne.
In this painting she is shown in profile, with her distinctive ornamental paddle boxes, three masts above a single funnel, and a modest head of steam as she passes through the Solent. Crucially, she flies the Admiralty fouled-anchor flag from the mainmast, with a red ensign aft, indicating that she is acting in an Admiralty flagship or reviewing role rather than carrying the Queen herself (in which case the Royal Standard would normally be flown).
Historical Significance
The combination of Osborne House on the shoreline, the dense crowd of spectator craft and the Admiralty flag at the mainmast strongly suggests a major Solent occasion off Osborne, almost certainly linked to the Cowes / Royal Yacht Squadron regattas of the early 1850s. By this period, Osborne had become Victoria and Albert’s much-loved seaside retreat, and the surrounding waters formed the natural stage for Cowes Week, squadron events and naval displays.
The painting gains particular historical weight from the documentation mounted to the reverse: original letters from the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and the Royal Archives, Windsor Castle (both dated 1989). These confirm the identification of the vessel as HMY Victoria and Albert (I), discuss structural details such as the round deckhouse aft and the funnel, and explain the significance of the Admiralty flag and the absence of the Royal Standard.
For a privately owned Victorian watercolour, it is unusual to have this level of institutional confirmation. It anchors the scene securely in the world of royal and Admiralty activity off Osborne in the early Victorian period.
About the Artist
This is a 19th-century British School watercolour painted in the manner of the marine artist Nicholas Matthew Condy. Although the precise hand is unknown, the painting displays the crisp draughtsmanship and lively narrative quality typical of good Victorian marine work:
Accurate ship forms and convincing rigging
Well-judged perspective and recession across the crowded water
A strong sense of scale from the royal yacht to the smallest foreground figures
The comparison with Condy acknowledges shared qualities of clarity, charm and careful ship portraiture, without asserting a formal attribution. The picture sits comfortably alongside named marine painters of the period and will appeal to collectors who appreciate that tradition.
Signed
The watercolour is unsigned, with no visible initials or monogram in the image or lower margin. Identification of the subject and dating rests instead on stylistic analysis and, importantly, on the attached correspondence from the National Maritime Museum and Royal Archives, which together confirm the ship and discuss her configuration.
This is entirely typical of many 19th-century British School watercolours and does not detract from the decorative or historical value of the piece.
Framed
The painting is presented in a period-appropriate ornate gilt moulded frame, recently refitted using a quality Larson-Juhl decorative moulding, providing a rich, gallery-level presentation that suits the royal subject.
A brand new white mount with gold border has been professionally fitted, giving a clean, crisp surround that lifts the image and echoes the gilding of the frame.
The work is glazed with Artglass AR 70, a high-quality low-reflection, UV-filtering glass that both enhances viewing by significantly reducing glare and offers improved protection against light damage – a thoughtful conservation choice for a 19th-century watercolour.
A good quality cord is fitted to the reverse, and the picture is ready to hang.
Dimensions
Framed size:
Width: 62 cm
Height: 52 cm
Depth: 3.5 cm
An ideal cabinet picture size, offering ample space for detail while remaining easy to place in either a domestic or office setting.
Provenance
Mr Dovey, Mid Glamorgan (recorded 1989)
Subsequently exhibited at the Lord Hill Museum, where it was shown under the exhibition title:
“HMY Victoria & Albert off Osborne House – A Royal Yacht in the Solent”
Later in a private collection, Cardiff, retaining an old Rogers Jones & Co. auction label “402” on the backboard
Now curated and offered by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD
Mounted to the reverse are the original letters from the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and the Royal Archives, Windsor Castle, which together provide authoritative confirmation of the subject and discussion of the vessel.
This combination of private ownership, museum exhibition history at the renowned Lord Hill Museum, auction label and museum/royal documentation gives the work an unusually secure and attractive provenance.
Why This Picture Stands Out
Royal pedigree – a richly atmospheric image of the first royal steam yacht off Osborne House, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s favoured retreat.
Naval and yachting glamour – the Solent alive with boats, with HMY Victoria and Albert acting in an Admiralty flagship/reviewing role during what is almost certainly a Cowes / Royal Yacht Squadron regatta.
Museum-backed narrative – original letters from the National Maritime Museum and Royal Archives, together with exhibition history at the Lord Hill Museum, provide an exceptional level of scholarly support and provenance.
High-end presentation – newly fitted Larson-Juhl gilt frame, new white mount with gold border, and Artglass AR 70 glazing: professionally finished and ready to hang.
Broad collecting appeal – ideal for collectors of royal memorabilia, marine art, Isle of Wight / Cowes Week material, or simply fine Victorian watercolours.
Perfect talking point – turn the picture around and you have a ready-made story for guests, combining royal life, early steam technology, yacht racing on the Solent and a named museum exhibition.
Condition
The watercolour is in good antique condition for its age. The paper shows some light, even age toning and the occasional small spot of foxing under close inspection, all consistent with a mid-19th-century work on paper. The colours remain pleasing, and all key elements – the yacht, the spectator craft and Osborne House – are clearly legible, with no obvious losses or over-restoration visible from the front.
The Larson-Juhl gilt moulded frame and new mount are in excellent, presentable condition, with only the lightest signs of handling to the frame as expected. The piece hangs well and displays the work attractively. As ever, close-up photographs form an important part of the description and give the best impression of condition in hand.
Worldwide Shipping
The painting will be professionally packed and fully insured for secure worldwide delivery.
You are welcome to secure this historically significant royal yacht watercolour via “Buy It Now”, and to explore our gallery, Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD, for more carefully selected fine art and decorative pieces.