Another delightful portrait from the same collection represents the
oft-painted _Henrietta, Lady Duncannon_, who was afterwards Countess of
Bessborough (Plate XIV., No. 2). She was sister to Georgiana, Duchess of
Devonshire, and seems to have spent a great deal of her time in sitting
for her portrait, all the artists of the day having painted her. This
miniature is remarkable for the fact that it still remains in its
original frame, a very magnificent one, richly set with superb diamonds.
Yet another charming portrait by Cosway (Plate XIV., No. 1) came from
the Truro collection to Mr. Morgan. It represents _Lady Augusta Murray_,
the daughter of Lord Dunmore, who became the wife of the Duke of Sussex,
the 6th son of George III. It was her marriage which, although twice
performed, in Rome and at St. George's, Hanover Square, was declared
null and void under the Royal Marriage Act (12 Geo. III. cap. 11). Her
daughter was Lady Truro. Lady Augusta was only painted twice, and on
both occasions by Cosway.
Our coloured illustrations include three portraits of women by Cosway,
_Viscountess St. Asaph_ (Plate XIII.), the _Countess of Rochford_ (Plate
XV.) and _Princess Charlotte_ (Plate XVI.), all of them distinguished by
Cosway's special method of painting the hair, and marked by that
inimitable grace in which he excelled.
We also illustrate from Lord Hothfield's collection one of Cosway's more
serious portraits of men, _The Earl of Thanet_ (Plate XVII.), set upon
the usual blue cloudy background, in this instance a trifle paler than
usual, and painted with convincing force in a very remarkable colour
scheme.
Of the work of the more sedate painters, Smart and Engleheart, we are
able to give many characteristic examples. From Lord Hothfield's
collection come a splendid pair--_Mr. and Mrs. Percival_ (Plate XIX.),
painted with that striking force which marks the best work of Smart,
upon his usual greenish-grey background, and with very subtle but
well-marked modelling in the features. His carnations were ever a little
brick-dusty in tint, and he delighted in the ruddier tones of the face,
but in depicting the shadows he had few rivals. Although there may be
perhaps a certain want of inspiration in his somewhat quaker-like method
of work, and in the very low tone of his colouring, yet there is an
honesty and a straightforward quality about it which is very attractive,
and perhaps that was the reason why Cosway in the words of praise he
gave to a painter so different from himself, spoke of him as "honest
John Smart."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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