An intimate portrait of Queen Victoria, what an immodest canvas of the mid-19th century looked like

The Victorian era was marked by the flourishing of the arts and gave us many beautiful works of painting, sculpture, literature and music. The portrait of Queen Victoria, commissioned by her for her husband, became one of the masterpieces of the era, but was carefully hidden from the public. What was on this canvas, which was considered intimate in the royal family for 150 years?

In the history of the British Empire, the Victorian era is considered a wonderful and controversial period. It was a time of rigid puritanical mores and the incredible debauchery hidden behind them. This is the period when the naked shoulder in the portrait was considered erotic, but parents could easily sell a child to a brothel.

This time was named in honor of Queen Victoria, who ruled the country for 63 years. This woman was the progenitor of many European royal dynasties and a talented politician. And the queen was also distinguished by the fact that she married for love, which was unthinkable in those days.

Determined Victoria herself made an offer to her future husband Albert, who, by the way, was her cousin. This happened in 1839, when she had already been on the throne for two years. The marriage lasted 20 years and 9 children were born in it. The life of the royal family was shackled by many protocols, but there was also a place for cute obscenities in it.

One of the royal pranks was the portrait of Victoria, which is considered intimate. The queen ordered it especially for her husband on his 24th birthday. For the middle of the 19th century, it was an incredibly candid image and few could see it. For the first time, the picture was shown to the general public only after 150 years and many were left perplexed.

The order of Queen Victoria was executed by the brilliant German painter Franz Xaver Winterhalter. He was considered the best portrait painter of that time and painted portraits of many European monarchs. The painting decorated Albert's private office at Windsor Castle. So the king could always see his beloved wife, from whom he was often separated by state affairs.

What was on the intimate portrait of the most powerful queen of the world? From the point of view of a modern person, nothing special. The young woman on it was depicted to the waist, in a relaxed pose, leaning back on scarlet pillows. Her shoulders are bare, and her hair is loose — that's why the picture was intended "not for everyone."

Albert died of typhoid fever in 1861. Victoria never recovered from the loss of her beloved and wore mourning for him until the end of her days. She rarely appeared in London, settling in Windsor Castle, where the happiest years of her life were spent. The Queen was even nicknamed the "Windsor widow". Victoria was credited with many affairs, including with servants, but they all remained at the level of rumors.