Archive | January, 2010

Gabrielle’s granddaughter

21 Jan

A charming pastel portrait by Élisabeth Vigée-Lebrun of Corisande Armandine Sophie Leonie de Gramont (1783-1865), the daughter of Aglaé de Polignac, Duchesse de Guiche and granddaughter of Yolande Gabrielle de Polastron, Duchesse de Polignac.

After escaping the Terror with her family, Corisande was raised in England in the household of her grandmother’s great friend, Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and was brought up alongside Lady Caroline Ponsonby (later to become the infamous Lady Caroline Lamb). It is said that both Georgiana’s son, Hart, the future 6th Duke of Devonshire and Augustus Foster, the son of her rival, Lady Elizabeth Foster fell madly in love with Corisande at this time.

Corisande would be married in 1806 to Charles Augustus Bennet, 5th Earl of Tankerville.

Joséphine’s granddaughter

21 Jan

The Princesse Joséphine de Leuchtenberg (1807-1876), eldest daughter of Eugène de Beauharnais and granddaughter of the Empress Joséphine. Doesn’t she look almost exactly like her charming grandmère?

She would become Queen of Sweden and Norway in 1844.

On this day…

21 Jan

At 10.22am on the morning of the 21st January 1793, Louis XVI, former King of France was guillotined on what is now the Place de la Concorde in Paris.

Poor Louis, maligned and trivialised through the intervening centuries as fat, stupid, clumsy, ineffective, weak and ridiculous when he was absolutely none of these things then unfairly ignored in the excited flurry of fascination and interest in his glamorous wife, Marie Antoinette. He never seems to get a break does he?

The real Louis, obscured by the mountains of panegyric devoted to Marie Antoinette was very different – a handsome, sensitive, shy, affectionate youth who grew up to be a fearless rider, devoted husband, loving father and able and well meaning King.

No, he probably wasn’t the King that the vapid, venal courtiers of Versailles wanted – no doubt they would have prefered his elegant, charming but rather stupid youngest brother Charles, Comte d’Artois, but he was a King that all of France could have been proud of had he not had the misfortune to reign at the end of the eighteenth century.

RIP Louis.

Madame la Duchesse d’Orléans, the richest girl in France

21 Jan

I’ve written about Louise-Marie-Adélaïde de Bourbon, Duchesse d’Orléans before but just wanted to quickly share this lovely portrait of her with you, as I have just stumbled upon it in one of my folders. Isn’t it lovely? I think that it really captures the Duchesse’s prettiness and charm.

Beautiful new skirt

20 Jan

I just had to share a picture of my beautiful new skirt from All Saints. My All Saints resolution isn’t going too well to be honest – I have bought a T shirt and a skirt from them in the last month but have also been buying from White Stuff and Warehouse as usual and have more purchases (a T shirt, two skirts and a couple of cardigans) planned for the next month. I think I may ditch the resolution as unworkable and carry on as before.

I know it is a bit early but I have started thinking about what clothes I am going to take to Camp Bestival this Summer. Do I want to be White Stuff Mummy or All Saints Mummy or maybe a bit of both? The boys will be easy enough to dress – apparently we won’t be allowed on the campsite if they aren’t both dressed in head to toe Boden.

Anyway! My new skirt! It’s shorter than you might expect but looks great with a pair of thick black tights and my boots. It’s all swishy and glimmering and lovely with very subtle bronze and pewter sequin work all around. Very nice.

Carlo Crivelli

19 Jan

I think that Carlo Crivelli is definitely one of my favourite Italian artists. He was active in Venice between 1457 and 1493 and this painting of a Madonna and Child dates from around 1480. I don’t know why his paintings appeal to me so much; I think I just adore his use of muted colour and the witchy elongated features (and fingers!) of his sitters.

His paintings are curious really as they contain both the progressive influences of the Italian Renaissance and yet at the same time retain a very decided gothic sensibility with results that are both charming and yet faintly unsettling.

Maria Luisa of Parma

19 Jan

I’ve written about Maria Luisa of Parma before but just wanted to share this wonderful 1765 portrait by Laurent Pécheux. The artist was summoned from France to Parma in January 1765 to paint the young princess for a portrait that was to be sent to Madrid where it could be scrutinised by her future husband, the Prince of Asturias and his family.

The painting is fascinating not just as a portrait of a young princess who would later become infamous but because of the way that she is dressed in the French style and surrounded by examples of French taste, probably furniture and items sent to Parma from Versailles by her grandfather, Louis XV. It is well recorded that her mother, the French princess Louise-Élisabeth turned her palace in Parma into a miniature Versailles, surrounding herself with the fine French art and furniture and it’s clear from the portrait that Maria Luisa’s French ancestry was seen as something to be emphasised during the marriage negotiations.

Young Woman Drawing

19 Jan

I am writing about Adélaïde again for my book and this 1801 self portrait ‘Young Woman Drawing’ by Marie-Denise Villers really makes me think about her.

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