Mobile menu
Prince Consort's statue unveiling

Explore how Albert was memorialised across art forms

Arthur Croft (1828-c. 1901)

Royal Mausoleum, Frogmore: realised design of the interior, looking towards the Chapel of the Altar dated 1863

Watercolour and bodycolour with gold painting and gum arabic over pencil | 42.2 x 47.2 cm (arched top) (sheet of paper) | RCIN 919739

Your share link is...

  Close

This 'highly finished drawing' was probably used as a means of showing Queen Victoria the effect of the finished interior of the Mausoleum. The figure of the Queen is shown kneeling beside Prince Albert's effigy. The drawing is a section through the mausoleum, showing the central space and the side chapels. The decorations in the Italianate style is heavily dependent on Raphael, whose work was so admired by the Prince.

Materials were incorporated from across the world, including Indian teak, Scottish granite and marble from many countries. The Builder noted that this reflected,

the deep and incessant interest taken by the Prince in the development of the material products of this and other countries

The Builder, 28 February 1863

The vault of the dome was painted blue with gold stars to evoke the heavens, an effect also used by Ludwig Grüner for The Blue Room at Windsor Castle. Paintings around the wall show scenes including the Life of Christ by Nicola Consoni (1814-84). The Princess Royal's involvement in the design of the the effigy by Carlo Marochetti is credited in the drawing with the inscription 'H.R.H.P.R.inv' to the lower left of the tomb. The work is inscribed bottom left: L. Gruner, inv. 1862 / A Croft. 1863.