Louisa Stuart was just seventeen years of age in September of 1835 when her sister Charlotte Stewart married Charles Canning in the church of St Martin in the Field in London. During the wedding, Louisa, who almost always kept a sketchpad close at hand, created a quick sketch of her sister and soon-to-be husband taking their vows.
This print, produced by Swan Electric Engraving of Newcastle Upon Tyne; is a reproduction of the sketch which she created at the wedding. The sketch shows her sister Charlotte Canning (Stuart), in her relatively risqué off-the-shoulder wedding dress, veil pushed back kneeling on the floor in front of the altar, her dress rumpled around her knees. Charles Canning can be seen kneeling beside her, his black suit marking him out as the groom but indistinguishable features otherwise.
Louisa has included a small amount of altar detail as well as the features of the priest who is officiating the marriage – H. L. Hobart, the Dean of Windsor. Almost all of the guests and witnesses are shown here as indistinguishable outlines of the women whom they were, the exception being the lady to the left of Charlotte who is very likely the mother of the bride.
Even at such a young age, seventeen; Louisa was quite a competent artist. She had already formed a habit of having sketchbooks to hand and drawing whenever she had a few spare moments. Virginia Surtees in her book Charlotte Canning describes this drawing as a vivid little pencil sketch.
Aisling on Art 
Interesing article, maybe the young Lady Waterfords artistic talent influenced the idea of the wedding photogapher when photographic technology developed later?. However, Im also fascinated by this “Swan Electric Engraving of Newcastle Upon Tyne”. It would be interesting for someone to do some research into this company and what other influences it had on regional and possibly national art?. Did this company also use more of Lady Waterfords ouevre ?
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