Queen Victoria Riding Out

Francis Grant's Queen Victoria Riding Out of 1839 is one of the most important images of the young queen produced in the first years of her reign, depicting her on horseback — a sport she genuinely loved — in the informal setting of a Windsor ride rather than a state occasion. Grant had established himself with this type of informal equestrian portraiture that combined the conventions of the grand horse portrait with a newer naturalism of setting and behavior. Victoria was twenty when Grant painted this, newly crowned and still finding the persona she would maintain for six decades; this early image of her as a confident horsewoman emphasized the personal vitality that made her popular. Grant's access to the court was facilitated partly through his connection to the aristocratic sporting world he shared with his subjects. The Royal Collection's picture is a key image of early Victorian royal portraiture.

Grant combines the conventions of equestrian portraiture — the horse given as much attention as the rider — with an informality of setting that distinguishes the picture from state occasions. Victoria's horse is painted with the anatomical authority Grant brought from his hunting background. The Windsor landscape background is rendered with loose atmospheric freshness. The overall handling is warm and assured.