A fine portrait of Alexander von Humboldt

A half-length seated portrait of Prussian explorer Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), famed for his expeditions in the Americas and Russia. He wears a dark jacket with The Order of the Black Eagle on his breast. The original oil, dated 1855 and so showing Humboldt in the last five years of his life, is in the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery (S/NPG.2019.12). In the 'Life of Alexander von Humboldt' (ed. Karl Bruhns, 1873), the painting is described as 'one of the best portraits that have been taken of him'. It is the work of Emma Gaggiotti-Richards (1825-1912), an Italian painter who was married Alfred Bate Richards, the first editor of 'The Daily Telegraph'. Queen Victoria was a patron: there are five of her paintings in the Royal Collection, including a self-portrait. This plate was engraved by Paul Sigmund Habelmann (1823-90).