Lot 290: HENRY CHARLES HEATH (1829-1898)

An important miniature of Queen Victoria, facing left in lace-bordered black dress, diamond collet necklace and earrings, small diamond crown and lace veil falling from her upswept dark hair, wearing the blue sash of the Order of the Garter and the medal of the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert and the Imperial Order of the Crown of India signed and dated in pencil on the reverse 'Painted by H. Char. Heath London 1890' oval, 1 13/16 in. (46 mm.) high, splendid gold frame set with 10 carat circular brilliant cut diamonds, the hinged reverse engraved 'PRESENTED TO M.. H.M.S. Stanley, BY Victoria R. I 1890' EXHIBITION London, Christie's, The Glory of the Goldsmith, 1989, no. 215, illustrated in colour p. 256. NOTES This miniature was presented to Sir Henry Morton Stanley (1841-1904) the explorer and journalist, on his return from his epic journey in rescuing Emin Pasha, aka Eduard Schnitzer (1840-1892), Governor of the Equatorial province of the Sudan in the Congo. Henry Charles Heath, son of Charles Heath the engraver, took up miniature painting as a profession after his father's death in 1848. He exhibited at the Royal Academy from 1851 to 1898 and was appointed miniature painter to Queen Victoria, circa 1890.