Painting of the Day: “Balmoral: Lower Corridor and Staircase,” 1857

Balmoral: Lower Corridor and Staircase
James Roberts, 1857
The Royal Collection

Upon completion of the new castle at Balmoral in 1856, Queen Victoria commissioned a series of paintings of the interior of the house to commemorate their new home. Painter James Roberts completed several highly detailed watercolor studies of many different rooms in the castle. These paintings have served future generations well by providing an accurate account of how the castle was decorated and furnished. Maintenance and renovation of the estate has been aided by the presence of Roberts’ pictures.


We can see here that Prince Albert has lined the lower corridor with a row of his trophies—the heads of many of the stags that he so famously hunted. This also gives us a glimpse at Queen Victoria’s art collection—most notably the sculpture beneath the mirror. This sculpture—which remains as part of the Royal Collection—is bronze version of Le Lion Amoreux by Charles Geef which was created especially for the queen after she saw the life-size plaster original at the Great Exhibition in 1851.