{{Short description|Swiss-born British portrait painter (1780–1860)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} [[Image:Chalon Portrait of Queen Victoria - 1837.jpg|thumb|An original or, more likely, a copy of Chalon's portrait of Queen Victoria<ref>[https://hartstamps.blogspot.com/2019/04/where-are-chalon-paintings.html Where Are the Chalon Paintings]</ref><ref>[https://hartstamps.blogspot.com/2019/04/modern-history-of-new-zealand-chalons.html The Modern, Illustrated History of the New Zealand Chalons]</ref>]] '''Alfred Edward Chalon''' {{Post-nominals|post-noms=RA}} (15 February 1780 – 3 October 1860) was a Swiss-born British portraitist. He lived in London where he was noticed by Queen Victoria.
== Biography == [[File:Family vault of John James Chalon in Highgate Cemetery.jpg|thumb|The Chalon family vault in Highgate Cemetery]] Alfred Chalon was born in Geneva from a father who soon was hired as professor at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, in England.
With his brother John James Chalon (1778–1854), Alfred became an artist. Entered at the Royal Academy in 1797, he joined the Associated Artists in Water-Colours, a group of aquarellists. In the Academy, he was elected an associate (ARA) in 1812, then academician (RA) in 1816.
Known for his portraits of the good society of London, he was chosen by Queen Victoria to paint a gift to her mother:<ref name="Stamp magazine 73-9 p47">Negus, Ron (September 2007). "The Queen in close-up", ''Stamp Magazine'' 73-9, page 47.</ref> Victoria in her State robes going to the House of Lords for her first official act, the prorogation of the Parliament, on 17 July 1837. After this task, Chalon was entitled Portrait Painter in Water Colour to Her Majesty and gained some celebrity. His 1837 portrait was engraved by Samuel Cousins and distributed to the public the day of Victoria's coronation, the 28 June 1838; and the next year Cousins produced a second, smaller, engraving.<ref name="Stamp magazine 73-9 p47"/><ref>[http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/search/Object.asp?object_key=11603 Description of Cousins' engraving] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625021653/http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/search/Object.asp?object_key=11603 |date=25 June 2018 }}, Government Art Collection, item 14946.</ref><ref>[https://hartstamps.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-cousins-cornucopia.html The Cousins Cornucopia]</ref> Then, starting in 1851, the "Chalon head" appeared on some British colonies' postage stamps.
Bachelors, the Chalon brothers lived together. In 1860, Alfred died at Campden Hill, in Kensington, London and was buried with his brother in Highgate Cemetery. thumb|Girl Reading Letter
== References == {{reflist}}
==Further reading== *{{cite DNB|wstitle=Chalon, Alfred Edward|volume=9|page=455–6}}
== External links == {{Commons category}} * {{Art UK bio}} * [https://archive.today/20130101014541/http://data4.collectionscanada.ca/netacgi/nph-brs?s1=&s2=&s3=153&l=20&Sect4=AND&Sect1=IMAGE&Sect2=THESOFF&Sect5=BIPHPEN&Sect6=HITOFF&d=BIPH&p=1&u=http://www.collectionscanada.ca/02/02015502_e.html&r=1&f=G Biography], Library and Archives Canada, retrieved 29 December 2007. *[http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/chalon_alfred.html A E Chalon online] (ArtCyclopedia) * [http://www.npg.org.uk/live/search/peopList.asp?search=sa&sText=Alfred+Edward+Chalon+ Portraits by Alfred Chalon], National Portrait Gallery of London. * Portrait of a beautiful Arvanit girl by Alfred Chalon (in the Albanian Wikipedia) * [http://www.racollection.org.uk/ixbin/indexplus?_IXACTION_=file&_IXFILE_=templates/full/person.html&_IXTRAIL_=Academicians&person=5565 Profile on Royal Academy of Arts Collections] * The painting {{ws|The Adieu}} with a poetical illustration by Letitia Elizabeth Landon in The Keepsake, 1833. * {{ws|The Escape of Fenella}}, a painting of a scene from the opera La muette de Portici by Daniel Auber, engraved by J. C. Edwards for The Keepsake annual, 1836, with a poetical illustration (Fenella’s Escape) by Letitia Elizabeth Landon. * Paintings for Finden's Gallery of the Graces, 1834: *: {{ws|The Lady Adeline}} engraved by John Henry Robinson, with a poetical illustration by Letitia Elizabeth Landon (The Ladye Adeline). *: {{ws|The Fair Patrician}} engraved by Richard Austin Artlett, also with a poetical illustration by Letitia Elizabeth Landon. * {{ws|La Rosa Parlante}}, engraved by E. J. Portbury for The Cabinet of Modern Art, 1837, with a poetical illustration by Letitia Elizabeth Landon * Portraits in Heath's book of Beauty, 1839, with illustrative verse by Letitia Elizabeth Landon: ** {{ws|Mrs Maberly}}, engraved by William Henry Mote ** {{ws|Miss Cockayne}}, engraved by William Henry Mote * A portrait of {{ws|Marguerite, Countess of Blessington}}, engraved by Henry Thomas Ryall for Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1839 with a poetical illustration by Letitia Elizabeth Landon.
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chalon, Alfred Edward}} Category:19th-century British painters Category:British male painters Category:British watercolourists Category:Royal Academicians Category:British portrait painters Category:1780 births Category:1860 deaths Category:Burials at Highgate Cemetery Category:19th-century British male artists Category:People from the Republic of Geneva