Victoria and Albert’s etchings to go on show at print fair

Etchings by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert from the Royal Collection are due to go on show at the London Original Print Fair in April. Both keen amateur artists, Prince Albert introduced the Queen to the practice of etching soon after their marriage in 1840. The couple often worked on plates together; the two prints on show, one by each, are dated 13 January 1842 and both depict rustic figures modelled on sketches by the Queen’s favourite artist, Edwin Landseer. Martin Clayton, the senior curator of prints and drawings at the Royal Collection, has selected 30 prints for the standalone exhibition, which marks the 30th anniversary of the fair (23-26 April). The show will also include etchings, woodcuts and lithographs by Old Masters including Dürer, Raphael, Castiglione and Canaletto. None of these works will be for sale. Meanwhile, 50 print dealers, galleries and publishers will be selling a range of works at the fair, to be held at the Royal Academy in London. Artists range from Rembrandt to Grayson Perry, with prices between £100 and £250,000.