A painting bought by Queen Victoria for £200 in 1841 and which hung in her dressing room at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight until her death in 1901, has just been returned to its former home.

The painting was bought in December last year at Sotheby’s from the collection of the late Sir David Scott for £73,250 and  has been in the picture conservation studio at Ranger’s House, London being restored in preparation for its return to Osborne House.

The UK’s leading independent art charity, The Art Fund, which is funded by donations and its 80,000 members, gave £44,886 towards the acquisition. The Island Friends of Royal Osborne also contributed to the purchase.

As Island Pulse reported in November 2008: Queen Victoria’s painting La Siesta Returns To Osborne House after more than 100 years. 

La Siesta, by the German artist Franz Xaver Winterhalter, is now on display in the drawing room at Queen Victoria’s former residence. Later in the year, the painting will be unveiled in its original location in Queen Victoria’s dressing room.

Michael Hunter, English Heritage Curator at Osborne House, said:

“It is very exciting to see Winterhalter’s painting, La Siesta, back at Osborne House after an absence of over a hundred years. The painting is on temporary display in the drawing room where visitors can see it close up as part of our guided tours in the company of one of our knowledgeable guides. The painting will be restored to its historic location in Queen Victoria’s dressing room later in the year.”

David Barrie, Director of The Art Fund said:

“This exquisite painting by one of the foremost portrait painters of the mid 19th century was chosen by Queen Victoria herself when she was just 22. She would have seen it in her dressing room everyday on waking and retiring when at Osborne House. Now after more than 100 years, The Art Fund has helped bring the painting back home to Osborne House, where soon it will be re-hung in the exact position in which it was placed for almost the entirety of Queen Victoria’s reign.”

There are currently nine portraits by Winterhalter at Osborne House, but none of the artist’s “fancy pictures” as Queen Victoria called them, now remain in the house. These were removed to other royal residences after Queen Victoria’s death. Some, as in the case of La Siesta, were given to members of the Queen’s family by King Edward VII.

Queen Victoria was just 22 when she ordered La Siesta – a painting of three Italian girls relaxing in the sun – from Winterhalter from his Paris studio. She received the painting on 22 December 1841, and wrote in her journal: “To-day I got from Paris a beautiful picture by Winterhalter which I had ordered. It is quite small, representing a “Siesta”, three lovely Italian girls, with one of them asleep.”

The painting was acquired at Christie’s in 1972 by the late Sir David Scott for £1,260.

From November to March, the house is open for pre-booked guided tours, allowing visitors to enjoy a selection of rooms at a quieter time of the year in the company of one of our expert guides. For details of our annual Christmas tours and events please call the house or visit website  HERE: