Queen Victoria had named Sir George Hayter her 'Principal Painter in Ordinary' and had given him many a lucrative portrait commission, including some of her beloved Prince Albert.
However, when Sir George proposed painting the Queen surrounded by Calliope, Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polyhymnia and Urania, symbolising Victoria's place at the heart of British society, culture and science, Her Majesty declined, saying: "We are not a Muse."
No comments:
Post a Comment