Figlia unica di Camillo Gaggiotti, Intendente Generale degli Stati Romani. A causa dei moti politici a Roma, e le sue manifeste idee liberali, con il marito (Richards) Emma si trasferisce a Londra tra il 1848 e il 1849. Qui, in un ambiente prettamente aristocratico, si distingue come ritrattista: nel 1853 la Regina Vittoria le commissiona un autoritratto da donare al consorte, il Principe Alberto. Attorno alla metà degli anni Cinquanta, torna a Roma, per poi trasferirsi a Firenze, dal 1865 al 1904, e a Velletri, dal 1904 al 1912.

Only daughter of Camillo Gaggiotti, General Superintendent of the Stati Romani. Owing to the political turmoil in Rome, unfavourable to her manifestly liberal ideas, between 1848 and 1849 Emma removed to London with her English husband (Richards). Here, in exclusively aristocratic circles, she distinguished herself as a portraitist: in 1853, Queen Victoria commissioned her to paint a self-portrait as a gift for her husband, Prince Albert. Some time around 1855, she returned to Rome, later moving to Florence, from 1865 to 1904, and Velletri, from 1904 to 1912.

1849-1854: Londra.

Norton Mrs Hon, Ossulston Countess of, Proctor Adelaide Ann, Proctor Bryan Waller, Vittoria Regina (Queen Victoria)

55, Baker Street, Portman Square, Londra (1849)

28, Baker Street, Londra (1850-1851)

19, Nottingham Place, Londra (1852)

13, Upper Harley Street, Londra (1853)

12, Fitzroy Square, Londra (1854)

Londra (1850, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1862, 1868)

red., “London Lady’s Newspaper”, 24 febbraio 1849.

s.a., The International Exhibition, in “The Examiner”, 5 luglio 1862, p. 426.

A. Graves, Dictionary of Artists who have Exhibited Works in the Principal London Exhibitions from 1760 to 1893, Londra 1901 (ristampa Bath 1973), ad vocem.

A. Graves, The Royal Academy of Arts. A complete dictionary of contributors and their work from its foundation in 1769 to 1904, Londra 1905, vol. III (ristampa 1970), ad vocem.

A. Graves, A Century of Loan Exhibitions 1813-1912, Londra 1913-1915 (ristampa 1970), vol. II, p. 1093.

G. Orioli, Muse dell’Ottocento romano: Emma Gaggiotti Richards, in “Studi romani”, n. 2, marzo-aprile 1953, pp. 161-176.

R. Ormond, Early Victorian Portraits, Londra 1973.

K.K. Yung, National Portrait Gallery. Complete Illustrated Catalogue. 1856-1979, Londra 1981, p. 461.

Dizionario degli artisti, in “Pittori & pittura dell’Ottocento italiano”, Novara 1997-1999

https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/view_as/grid/search/makers:emma-gaggiotti-richards-18251912

https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/408920/portrait-of-the-artist

Adelaide  Ann  Procter, National Portrait Gallery, Londra.

Portrait of the artist (1853), Royal Collection Trust.