Painters and Patrons: Emma Gaggiotti and Prince Albert
Painters and Patrons: Emma Gaggiotti and Prince Albert is a new display at Osborne running from Saturday 28 March 2026 - October 2027.
Born in Rome, Gaggiotti was an artist who worked internationally and completed six paintings for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
For the first time, this display brings together all of these paintings, including her self-portrait, which is on loan from the Royal Collection.
Images: © Royal Collection Enterprises Ltd 2026 | Royal Collection Trust
In 1850 Albert commissioned four works by Gaggiotti which he presented to Queen Victoria over subsequent Christmases. The final painting was comissioned by Queen Victoria herself.
Gaggiotti’s paintings were commissioned for the couples' domestic spaces, revealing the couple’s personal tastes in a way that their public art could not.
This display also explores the role of women as professional artists and serious amateur practitioners in the mid-19th century at a time when female artists challenged the status of art and gender.
It will also explore Prince Albert's important influence as a patron for the arts and supporting women's artistic practice professionally.
About Emma Gaggiotti
Italian artist Emma Gaggiotti was one of the few female artists of the 19th century to attain international recognition during her lifetime.
She was a pupil of the artist Nicola Consoni and later Tomasso Minardi – both followers of the Italian Purist movement, which aimed to revive the aesthetic purity of the early Renaissance painters.
Learn more about Emma GaggiottiBook your visit to Osborne
This display is included with your admission to Osborne.
Book advance tickets and save 15%.
English Heritage Members go free.
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