Princess Beatrice 1859

Franz Xaver Winterhalter painted this oil on canvas of ‘Princess Beatrice’ in 1859. Here we see a portrait of a young royal child. The portrait is infused with markers of class privilege like her ruffled pink dress, jewelry, and bonnet. Winterhalter makes a point to highlight her delicate features and porcelain skin, underscoring the social and racial expectations of beauty he was tasked to represent. In this way, the painting functions as both an intimate portrayal of childhood, and a piece of political propaganda. Winterhalter was Queen Victoria’s favorite painter. He was celebrated for his ability to infuse a sense of relaxed intimacy into otherwise formal and stiff portraiture. The painting gives us an insight into the highly regulated emotional lives of royal children, as well as, perhaps, a glimpse of their rebellion. She is barefoot and almost in costume. Does this make the child knowable or does it further mask her? Ultimately, this painting allows us to reflect on the public and private lives of individuals and how these shape identity.