New Gainsborough Self-Portrait?

This weekend I was alerted to this article thanks to M from Alberti's Window.  To summarize: art historian, Stephen Conrad bought a miniature at an auction, struck by the familiar face.  He now believes that he is in possession of Thomas Gainsborough's first self-portrait.  Conrad's evidence is the uncanny likeness and the fact that the miniature is painted in Sudbury around 1736/7 when Gainsborough would have been about ten years old.  Conrad's suspicions seemed founded when on the back in a "childish script" was written, "Gainsboro."  

Now could this sitter be a young Gainsborough? Absolutely.  The facial features are congruent with Gainsborough's self-portraits.  Is this a self-portrait? I highly doubt it.

When I first read the article Gainsborough's 1754 self-portrait immediately popped into my head.  Painted when Gainsborough was in his late teens, this unfinished work shows how Gainsborough's proficiency was still developing.  The skill demonstrated in the miniature seems much more honed than that of the 1754 portrait which was done by a young man who had studied art in London for about five years.

The other peculiar thing about this newly revealed painting is the sitter's eyes.  From what I can tell, they are brown.  If we look at Gainsborough's self-portrait from 1787 two blue eyes are looking at us.  Supposed portraits of Marie Antoinette have been disproved merely by incorrect eye color. 

I am curious to see where this discovery will go.  What do you think?

Chatsworth Garage Sale? Yes Please

I love waking up to good news!  This morning caroline Ing and joana lamas alerted me to the grandest of sales which I think we can all appreciate.  The current Duke and Duchess of Devonshire need to do a little spring cleaning (probably after all those recent renovations) and have commissioned Sotheby's to clean out their attic and auction off a good amount of the treasures they find in there.  This comes right after Georgiana's childhood home Althorp, had their auction.  You, yes you, can now own literally, a piece of Chatsworth.  I say literally because I saw a few door frames in there.  


You can view the lot on 1-4 of October this year and the sale begins after that from 5-7 October.  It even appears that there might be a few Georgiana-related goodies, especially since some of the items are rescued pieces from Devonshire House (Georgie's true haunt).  But for now I will take the tea set.

Sotheby's Upcoming Auctions


BBC News in Pictures: Chatsworth's "attic sale"

Mail Online (which has a lot about how the sale relates to Georgiana)

Matlock Mercury

Part of the Ship that Launched Paul Revere Found

TheBostonChannel.com is reporting that a British warship was found off of Cape Cod this week. If that wasn't impressive enough this ship happens to be quite famous. The ship remains are being identified as the HMS Somerset III which is the same warship that Paul Revere slipped past when he had his famous midnight ride. Since the ship was built in 1745 and went down in 1778 I'm surprised there is actually anything left to it. Well, I guess you could say British ships were built to last.

British Warship Paul Revere Eluded Resurfaces
18th Century British Warship Resurfaces on a Beach in Provincetown

A Newer Chatsworth

Georgiana's beautiful home, Chatsworth has been in the news frequently this week. It is reopening its doors for the 2010 season this month. But what is so fabulously wonderful about Chatsworth this season is that it has just undergone a huge face lift. This has been the biggest refurbishment of the house since Georgiana's son, Hart, decided to give the country estate some much needed attention about 200 years ago.

The facade of the house has gotten a good power wash so it should be sparkling clean for its new visitors. I also read on the Chatsworth blog that they reintroduced the dining room table that Hart picked out for the room during his improvements. In addition to the restoration of many rooms, two galleries dedicated to some famous duchesses will be opened. The first is to Deborah, the current Dowager Duchess. The second is to our favourite duchess. Unfortunately, I have attempted to contact Chatsworth to get more details about the new Georgiana Gallery, but to no avail. I will keep you posted if I do find out. In the meantime here are some of the recent Chatsworth articles I have found.

Telegraph

Daily Mail

Telegraph (an interesting article)

The Times

America's Pastime, England's Game

A new report from BBC News claims that Baseball was being played in Surrey, England 40 years before it it was said to have formed in the US. This report surfaced after Tricia St Johns Barry discovered the diarist, William Bray had written repeatedly about "Base Ball" when he was a teenager in 1755. The earliest note of the game being played in America was 1791 in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Jane Austen had also mentioned playing "base-ball" in her novel, Northanger Abbey which was written between 1798-1803.

BBC News