Queen Victoria

Title: Statue of Queen Victoria

Artist: Mario Raggi

Date: 1901

Material: Bronze

Location: Queen's Park, Legislation Assembly of Ontario

Latitude: 43.662111

Longitude: -79.390778

VISUAL ANALYSIS:

This statue of Queen Victoria shows the queen as very regal and superior. She is sitting tall on her throne with her head held high. Her clothes are very long and flow onto the pedestal underneath her, as is expected from royalty. She is holding a Globus Cruciger in one hand and a scepter in the other. These are symbols of the monarchy and imply power. Not only does the queen exude power, but she is surrounded by animals, like a horse and a lion, that are sculpted on her throne.

The shape of the Queen is very similar to the throne itself. The throne is very wide at the bottom, which matches the flowing garment she is wearing. In the middle, it remains relatively straight, which matches the Queen’s immaculate posture with her shoulders straight and broadened. Near the top of the throne, it narrows, with very intricate detailing, which corresponds to the Queen’s extravagant crown.

Despite the fact that Queen Victoria is sitting down, her gaze captures you and once you lay your eyes on her, the power she exudes surrounds you, whether you look at her face or her throne. This incredible statue is fitting for a woman of her standing, for which Canadians have an official holiday to remember her by.

HISTORICAL INFORMATION:

The statue of Queen Victoria is created by sculptor Mario Raggi and purchased by the Province of Ontario in 1902. Queen Victoria was born on the 24th May, 1819 and reigned as the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland during what is called the Victorian Era (20th June, 1837 - 22nd January 1901). Queen Victoria was the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn. She became Queen when she was 18, after her uncle William IV died. During her early reign, she relied greatly on minister Lord Melbourne as she was politically inexperienced. Later, Queen Victoria married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who became an important political advisor of Queen Victoria. The couple had nine children. The Queen’s popularity has increased a decreased a few times during her reign. However, the queen’s popularity plummeted when Prince Albert died. She was very depressed and avoided public appearances, leading her to lose support and temporarily allowing the republican movement to gain popularity.

After the Indian rebellion of 1875, Queen Victoria released a statement saying that she was horrified by bloody civil war and wished for the support of religious freedom. She strongly supported “Public worship regulation act 1874” passed by Disraeli, removed catholic rituals from Anglican liturgy. Disraeli also pushed Royal tithes act of 1876, which made her “empress of India”. In 1887, after having regained popularity, the queen celebrated her 50TH anniversary of her accession with a banquet, for which Abdul Karim, a Muslim, Indian man, was hired. He later became her Hindu teacher and clerk, despite the complaints and accusations of many. The next year, the queen’s grandson, Wilhelm, became the emperor of Germany. Victoria had hoped that he would lead Germany in a more liberal direction but Wilhelm believed in autocracy, so he did not. Queen Victoria passed away in January of 1901 and was later succeeded by King Edward VII, one of her few remaining children. She had a military funeral, where she wore a white dress and wedding veil, and she was buried beside her husband, Prince Albert.

She was one of the longest reigning and most beloved monarchs. According to her biography, she wrote 2,500 daily, including a diary and a book which she published in early 1884, and dedicated to her faithful friend and attendant John Brown. Although there was one point in time when she was quite unpopular, she was a very important matriarchal figure in the 1880s and 1890s. It was after her diary was edited and published, by her youngest daughter, that the extent of her political influence was known. She was also the first reigning monarch from Britain to set foot in Spain. Many conclude that Queen Victoria was emotional and honest, and was one of the driving forces of the modern constitutional monarchy in Britain today.