A painting bought by Queen Victoria and hung in her dressing room has returned to her Isle of Wight home.
La Siesta by the German artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter, is now on display at Osborne House after being bought at auction for £73,250.
Queen Victoria first paid £200 for the artwork in 1841 and it remained in her dressing room until she died in 1901.
Michael Hunter, English Heritage curator at Osborne House, said: “It is very exciting to see Winterhalter’s painting back at Osborne House after an absence of over a hundred years.
“It is temporarily on display in the drawing room where visitors can see it close up as part of a guided tour. It will be restored to its historic location in Queen Victoria’s dressing room later in the year.”
The painting was previously acquired at Christie’s in 1972 by the late Sir David Scott for £1,260.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here