Victoria's Vibes -- a blog

Visiting Stowe House

10/30/2023

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited Stowe House in 1845, here portrayed in watercolours by Joseph Nash (1809-1878),
© Royal Collection Trust

Stowe House was built in 17th C. and enlarged in several phases throughout the 18th C, all under the ownership of the Temple family. It was sold in 1922 and became the Stowe School. In 1989. the Park and Gardens were endowed by donors and gifted to the National Trust, which continues to restore and maintain the Gardens for the public. The Stowe House Preservation Trust was established in 1997 to restore the house in collaboration with the school and the NT. Below, Stowe House South Front.

Many of the former State Rooms have been restored and you can visit their progress on the Stowe House YouTube channel. The public is welcome to visit the state rooms of the house when they are not in use for school activities. Thus, when we toured the gardens in May 2023, we were able to see several of the amazing interiors. Please click on the small pictures for the full image. Below left, the Corinthian-pillared portico of the south facade; right, across the lake are the two lake pavilions, and in the far distant center, the Corinthian Arch, once the formal entrance to the estate. The Arch was designed in 1765 by architect Thomas Pitt, 1st Baron Camelford (1737-1793), a well-known amateur architect, a friend of the Temple family and nephew of PM Lord Chatham.

In the words of the Wikipedia article on Stowe House, "The propensity to marry heiresses is shown by the family name being changed to Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville by the late 18th century." Once the rooms and corridors were home to a magnificent collection of painted and sculptural masterpieces, many of which were sold long ago and now can be found in major world museums. Today, we can enjoy a few originals, family portraits, and reproductions. Below, mother and son: left, Anna Eliza, Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos, painted by Sir Willliam Beechey, 1802; right, her son, the 2nd Duke, Richard Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville (1797-1861) painted in 1830 by John Jackson (1778-1831).

Above and below, views of the Music Room, designed and painted in the Pompeian style by Vincenzo Valdrè (1740-1814), who spent a substantial part of his career on projects at Stowe House. It is beautifully ornamented and one could spend hours studying the charming images.

Above, the North Hall. Left, the elaborately restored ceiling, and right, gilded double doors flanked by portraits.
Below, the Marble Saloon, rebuilt in 1774 and based on the Pantheon in Rome with a coffered 17-meter dome topped by a skylight.
The middle row shows classical statues acquired on his Grand Tour by the George Grenville, 1st Marquess of Buckingham (1753-1812): left, Meleager, hunter prince, and right, Venus, goddess of love. These are plaster casts of the originals collected for the Marble Saloon. In the Neoclassical Era, copies of ancient Greek and Roman statues were more esteemed than works by contemporary sculptors.

Above, Marble Saloon statues in their niches, and a reproduction of a gilded torchiere, one of several standing in between the statues. All of the photos above were taken by me or by Kristine Hughes in May 2023. Those below are from Wikipedia.
Below, left, a closeup of one of the Medici lions on the South Front; right, the ceiling of the library, one of the rooms we were unable to see due to its use by students.

Above, two views of the Blue Drawing Room, another spot in use by students when we visited, so we got only a brief glimpse. Recently restored, it would be a perfect setting for a wedding.

Above: Stowe House, North Front: the school, with the gardens beyond.

Coming soon, the ultimate in British Country Houses: Waddesdon Manor.

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Stowe Landscape Gardens, Buckinghamshire

10/17/2023

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In June we visited a spot I can now retire from my bucket list, the National Trust's on-going restoration of Stowe Landscape Gardens in Buckinghamshire, supported by the Royal Oak Foundation. Long considered the ultimate in 18th C. English gardens, it met every one of my expectations, as well as offering yours truly the opportunity to "drive" a golf cart over the paths.

The shifting designs of Stowe in the development of the English Landscape Garden are probably as significant as any in the realm. Not only was it designed by the leading gardeners of the 18th Century, it was built to honor and reflect the great philosophical movements and thinkers of the era, a metaphor for Britain itself.
Below left, The Temple of British Worthies, honoring such luminaries as Elizabeth I, John Milton, and William Shakespeare; right, two intrepid explorers on their magical steed (in the rain). Please click on the photos for complete versions.

Above left, three of the British Worthies, l to r, Shakespeare, John Locke, Sir Isaac Newton; right, Temple of Ancient Virtue, honoring four ancient Greeks: Socrates, Homer, Lycurgus, and Epaminondas. Both structures were designed by Charles Bridgeman, one of the original developers of Stowe Gardens for Richard Temple, 1st Viscount, later Baron Cobham (1675-1749). Members of the extended Temple Family, which owned and developed Stowe Park, included many recipients of distinguished aristocratic titles and major government offices in Britain for centuries.
Below, left, Temple of Friendship, a gathering place for political discussion and debate; right, the Shell Bridge by William Kent (1685-1748). In addition to Bridgeman and Kent, others such as John Vanbrugh (1664-1726), James Gibbs (1682-1754), and Lancelot 'Capability' Brown (1716-1783) all contributed, among many, to the landscape and architectural creations at Stowe. We will visit the house, now a school, in a future post.

Above left, the Doric Arch and statues of the Muses; right, the Chinese House, the earliest surviving Chinese style garden pavilion in Britain designed by Kent in 1738 and moved to Wotton House nearby about 1751 until restored and returned to Stowe in the 1990's.
Below left and right, restoring the Bell Gate Lodge. The large sign apologies for the 'mess' and shows original sketches of 1805, which will be the new appearance when the project is completed. This was the main entrance from the parking and other facilities. The original entrance was through the Grand Arch, no longer allowing car and truck traffic.

Above left, the Corinthian Arch, originally designed to be the stately entrance to Stowe, framing in the distance, Stowe House; right, the Gothic Temple; both photos from Wikipedia Commons; all other photos, except where noted, by Victoria Hinshaw or Kristine Hughes.
Below, the Palladian Bridge. similar to the one built at Wilton House, but wide enough for carriages to cross. The architect was James Gibbs who is also credited with the design of the Temple of Friendship and the Queen's Temple.

Above, left, view from inside the bridge; right, a local family admiring the landscape.
The National Trust writes, "The scale and beauty of Stowe have attracted visitors for over 300 years. Picture-perfect views, winding paths, lakeside walks and temples create a timeless landscape, reflecting the changing seasons. Full of hidden meaning, the gardens were created as an earthly paradise and still cast their spell today."
Below left, the Gothic Temple from a distance, and right, the Temple of Concord and Victory, both pictures from the NT.

Above left, Rotondo with gilded statue of Venus; right, the Memorial to Captain Cook, both photos from Wikipedia.
Again, I see how insufficient my photographic talents are in portraying the scope and magnificence of Stowe Gardens. Luckily I can close my eyes and see so much more in my memory.

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Staying at Hartwell House, Aylesbury, Bucks

9/12/2023

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Despite those threatening skies, can you think of anywhere else you'd rather spend a week in May? Below, photos of the grounds. Please click on each for full images.

Above, some of the local livestock across the ha-ha. The calves were most inquisitive.
Below, left, equestrian statue of Frederick, Prince of Wales (1707-51), son of George II and father of George III; the artist of the bronze of 1751 was John Cheere. Right, St. Mary's Church of 1753-5, Henry Keene, architect, in early Gothic Revival style.

Above left and right, our spacious room overlooking the lawns.
Mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, the property's present house grew out of an early 17th C. building constructed for the Hampden family, prominent in Buckinghamshire political circles, designed in Jacobean style. Various Hampden heirs held Hartwell until the death of Sir Alexander Hampden in 1618. Having no children, the estate went to his sister, Eleanor, Lady Lee, and her husband Sir Thomas Lee of nearby Moreton. The house history booklet tells us this couple produced 24 children.
Below, our room and our desk. What could I write here?

Above, The Great Hall, now a sitting room for hotel guests, stands almost exactly as designed by architect James Gibbs in 1739-40. The mantelpiece was probably carved by Italian stucco artists Giuseppe Artari and Giovanni Bagutti.

Above, more views of the Great Hall; left, the ceiling medallion designed by Gibbs portrays Genius Rewriting History among the ruins of Antiquity.
Several generations of the Lee family lived mostly at their family seat at Moreton, raised to the baronetage. It was Sir William Lee, 4th baronet (1726-99), who completed the refurbishment of Hartwell begun by his father, including extensive gardens and outbuildings.
Below, left, the Morning Room, where we were served tea, right. Yum.

Above, left, the ceiling medallion in the Morning Room and right, another view of the comfortable furnishings.
Below, views of the Library. The portrait over the fireplace of Lady Elizabeth Harcourt, Lady Lee (1737-1811), is by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1823-1792). She and her husband Sir William Lee (see above) are largely responsible for the 18th C. decor of the reception rooms. Gilt brass wirework protects the volumes in library bookcases. Middle row, right, the television provided for us to watch the coronation from London.

Above, left, King Charles III; right, the view from above of Westminster Abbey during the ceremony. Below, the Drawing Room, another sumptuous yet comfortable reception room for hotel guests. The many books and magazines available almost made us yearn for a rainy day.

Above left, King George III (1738-1820) by Gainsborough Dupont (1754-1797, after Thomas Gainsborough (artist's uncle). At the right, a bust of French King Louis XVIII (1755-1824), who lived in exile at Hartwell House during Napoleon's reign in France. After Napoleon abdicated following his loss in the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, Louis XVIII returned to rule his native land until his death.
Below, the amazing staircase, left, with portraits reproduced below of the French King and his wife, and right, the chandelier crowning the staircase.

Above left, portrait of Louis Stanislas-Xavier, comte de Provence, later Louis XVIII, King of France (1755-1824) by artist Joseph Boze (1746-1826); right, Marie-Josephine Louise de Savoie, comtesse de Provence (1753-1810), also by Boze, 1786.
Below, additional photos of the staircase.

Above left, carved statues on the Hartwell Hour grand staircase, which included, right, Winston Churchill (1874-1965).
Below, views of the stables and Spa pool, delightful!

Above, the dining room, designed to resemble the work of architect Sir John Soane (1753-1837) after Hartwell House became a hotel.
Below, a house on a nearby lane, recently re-thatched with decorative hares on the roof.

Above, left, the Egyptian Well and Spring about which there are several explanations of its name and origin on the web, but nothing I could find about the odd structure which looks neither ancient, holy, nor mystical. But one of the stories, oft repeated, says the name "Hartwell" comes from the deer which were seen to drink from the spring. However, on the right is the Bugle Horn, a nearby pub at which the food is delicious and the ambience exactly what one desires in a country establishment.
You can stay at Hartwell House and dine at the Bugle Horn on Number One London's Town and Country House Tour, May 29-June 3, 2024. Website at
http://numberonelondontours.com

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Travel Pause to Visit Old Friends at Home

9/5/2023

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Pat, my sister-in-law, and I recently visited the Milwaukee Art Museum and renewed our admiration for both the building and some of our favorites in the collection.

Above, the Milwaukee Art Museum Calatrava Wing, known as the Quadracci Pavilion, in August, 2023.

Above left, a Shrank (wardrobe, cabinet), 1700/20, Frankfurt, Germany; right, Portrait of Friedrich IV, Duke of Altenburg, 1815, by German artist Carl Christian Vogel von Vogelstein (1788-1868).
Below, left Jocko with a Hedgehog, 1888, by Edwin Landseer (1802-1873); Portrait of a Woman, possibly Mrs. Anastasia Robinson, 18th C, by English artist Daniel Gardner (1750-1805).

Above, two portraits by George Romney, English (1734-1802); left, Miss Grace Ashburner, 1792; right, John Parker, 1778-81.
Below, Portrait of Jane Emma Orde, c.1806, by John Hoppner (1758-1810); right, portrait of Charlotte-Francoise DeBure, 1776. by French artist Catherine Lusurier (1753-81).

Above left, The Shepherdess, 1750-52, by Jean-Honore Fragonard (1732-1806), typical of 18th C. French Rococo art; right, Pat admires Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbaran's (1598-1664) Saint Francis of Assisi in His Tomb,1630/34.
Below, two interior images of the Museum addition by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava (b. 1951), completed in 2001 on the shore of Lake Michigan.

Above, left, La Pere Jacques (The Wood Gatherer)1887, by Jules Bastien-Lepage(1848-1884); right, The Two Majesties (Les Deux Majestes), 1883

Below, the Portrait of Miss Frances Lee, 1769, by English artist Francis Cotes (1726-1770), is the subject of a special exhibition until October 22 and two gallery talks on Thursdays, September 21 and October 19, 2023. both at 12-1 pm; European Art Galleries, Level 2, Gallery S202, Milwaukee Art Museum.

From the description: "Focusing on a singular work from the Milwaukee Art Museum’s collection, A Very Strong Likeness of Her explores the challenging and sometimes conflicting histories that an artwork can represent. On its surface, the portrait is a charming image of a young girl and her napkin-turned-rabbit companion. The exhibition’s close study of the painting, however, reveals a complex story of identity, family dynamics, and British colonialism in Jamaica... (and) employs a range of materials to bring to life the underlying narratives in this deceptively simple painting." Further explanation tells us Miss Lee "was the eldest daughter of Englishman Robert Cooper Lee who traveled to Jamaica in 1749 to make his fortune on a British sugar plantation. There he met her mother Priscilla Kelly, the daughter of an African slave. Robert and Priscilla could not legally marry in Jamaica. They were married only after returning to England in 1771...Nicknamed Fanny, she was sent back to England at ten years old, to board at a girl's school, due to her delicate health. An uncle commissioned the portrait for Fanny's parents so that they would have an image of their daughter...." Photo credit: Larry Sanders.
Anne M. Powers edited and published in 2012 A Parcel of Ribbons, the story of the 18th C. Lee family told through their letters, available though Amazon. Frances Lee was born in Jamaica in 1758, never married, and died a wealthy woman in Devonshire Street, Portland Place, London, in December 1839.

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Going to the Dogs...Wallace Collection

8/13/2023

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Rounding out our London visit last May, two events remain.
Below, in the Atrium at the Wallace Collection, where we lunched before visiting the exhibition, a delightful dining experience, by the way. The image on the poster is Dog of the Havannah Breed, 1768, by Jean-Jacques Bachelier (1724-1806).
Don't forget to click on the thumbnails to enlarge the pictures.

Above left, The Townley Greyhounds, Roman, 1st-2nd C. CE, purchased for the British Museum in 1805; right, Pilau, a Performing Dog, by artist John Charlton (1849-1917), 1910
Dog.
Below, left, Ah Cum, a Pekingese Dog, unknown maker, taxidermy, c.1896; right, Kylin, also a Pekinese, 1917, by artist Arthur Joh Elsley (1860-1952).

Many prominent artists painted pets, both others' animals, and their own. Above, left, Lady Archer's Maltese Terrier, 1787, by George Stubbs (1724-1806); right, Tristam and Fox, artist Thomas Gainsborough's (1727-88) spaniel and collie.
Authors too wanted mementos of their canine pals. Below left, Lord Byron's Lyon, the Wolf Dog, 1808, by Clifton Tomson (1775-1828); A Scene at Abbotsford, 1827, by Edwin Landseer (1802-1873), dogs belonging to Sir Walter Scott.

Edwin Landseer was especially known for his many portraits of dogs. Above. left, A Saluki Hound, 1840-4; right, Laying Down the Law or Trial by Jury, c. 1840, usually hangs in Chatsworth House; after purchasing the canvas, the 6th Duke of Devonshire asked Landseer to add his Blenheim spaniel Bony to the scene at left, behind the greyhound.
Below, British artist David Hockney (born 1937) is represented by paintings of his dachshunds. Right, Dog Painting #41, 1995.

One of our favorite things in the UK is the traditional Sunday Roast. To enjoy a day with our pal, writer Beth Elliott, we took the train to Reading and met her to drive to the Packhorse (above left) where we dined on rare roast beef. Yum! And Beth, being all things historical, took us to see the Maharajah's Well, an added bonus. Above right, Kristine and Beth in front of the Well at Stoke Row, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire. Thank you, Beth, for a perfect Sunday! The Well was a gift from the Maharajah of Benares to the people of Oxfordshire in the 1860's.
Next. off to Buckinghamshire.

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And again to London...

7/29/2023

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It was the penultimate destination of our adventure, a few days in London in late April and early May, 2023, before our visit to Buckinghamshire. The metropolis was all decked out for the Coronation of King Charles III. Please click on the photos for complete versions.

On our 2022 visit to London we happened to arrive the day before Her Majesty Elizabeth II died at Balmoral, Scotland. We had planned to participate in conference on the Napoleonic Wars at the National Army Museum, which was canceled as were most other London activities. The next day we took flowers to Buckingham Palace, accompanied by thousands of others as well as the media and security forces according, we heard, to plans long ago prepared for the event.

Our 2022 hotel, Royal Horseguards, just off Whitehall, was smack dab in the center of security arrangements from numerous events, with battalions of armed soldiers and police , horse vans and their occupants, dogs, and scads of security equipment of all sorts. Our mobility was definitely limited. London was jammed with people and this year, 2023, would be the same for the Coronation. Therefore we stayed far from the ceremonial routes and quietly slipped off to the country before the big event. Enough of the mobs of celebrants. The view was best on the telly. Below, we stayed at Stratford House, just north of Oxford Street, the Oriental Club. Guess who was the founding president of the club in 1824?

I am sure you recognize, above, right, the 1st Duke of Wellington. The club was formed for men who had served the East India Company and/or His Majesty in the East. A clubhouse was built at 18, Hanover Square where it was located until 1962 when it moved to 11 Stratford Place, the present site, formerly known as Stratford House.

Built in 1771-73 for Edward Stratford, who became the second Earl of Aldborough, by Richard Edwin to a design inspired by the work of Robert Adam. Now a Grade 1 listed site, it has been remodeled several times, most recently in 1960 for the club's use. Below, various pictures from the club's interior.

We managed to fit in several meals with friends and two exhibitions. Below, images taken at the Queen's Gallery, Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians. Below, left.. the Catalogue, showing a detail of Thomas Gainsborough's (1727-88) portrait of Queen Charlotte (1744-1818), usually hung in Windsor Castle; right, George III when Prince of Wales, 1759, by Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-92); middle row, left, Stitched Stays, c. 1780's, worn over the shift to shape the torso; right, Princesses Louisa and Princess Caroline, 1767, by artist Francis Coates (1726-70), two of George III's sisters.

Above, left, right, Court Dress back view, 1760's, cream silk with embroidery. right, St. James Park & the Mall. British School, 18th Century
Below, the Coronation Robes of the 1st Duke of Wellington and his sons, Lord Charles Wellesley, age 13, and Arthur, Marquess of Douro, age 13. These costumes were worn for the Coronation of George IV, on 19 July, 1821. The duke was appointed Lord High Constable for the ceremony. It will not surprise those who study the 1st Duke of Wellington that he termed the outfits, planned by George IV himself after Elizabethan and Jacobean fashions "too showy."

Next, Going to the Dogs.

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The Peninsular War...Tidbits in 2023

7/14/2023

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Traveling with Kristine Hughes, Author of Waterloo Witnesses and an eager student of the life of Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington (1769-1852), the honored general is never far from our thoughts. Was Artie (we are all good pals) here, we ask? We found many connections in Portugal, where he led the British Army during the Peninsular War (1807-1814) against the French invaders.
Please remember to click on the photos for complete versions. Below, Row 1, left, Arthur Wellesley, later the 1st Duke of Wellington portrayed by Sir Thomas Lawrence; right, obelisk at the park commemorating the Battle of Vimiero, August, 1808. Row 2, Portuguese blue tile plaques illustrating battles scenes.

Above, left, the landing site near Vimiero for the British troops; right the tile portraying the landing. The Vimiero shots were taken on a previous trip I made to the site.
The early phase of the Peninsular War ended after Vimiero in August, 1808. A British expeditionary force, joined with Portuguese troops, under the leadership of Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Wellesley had defeated French forces commanded by General Junot. Instead of pursuing and re-engaging the French as Wellesley wanted to do, a pair of senior generals, who had arrived during the fighting, insisted on negotiations for peace. The Convention of Cintra was agreed August 30 requiring the British Navy to transport the French Army back to France, thus freeing Portugal, a situation which lasted only a few months.
The Convention was signed at the Palace in the room below. Though Wellesley at first refused to sign, eventually he did so. However when the news reached London, the War Office and most of Parliament objected. All three generals were recalled and subjected to an official inquiry. The National Palace of Queluz was begun in the 17th C. near Lisbon.

After being vindicated by the London proceedings, Sir Arthur returned to command the Allied British and Portuguese troops once more, arriving in Lisbon in April, 1809. On May 12, he directed a daring daytime crossing of the Douro River, defeating Marshal Soult's French troops in what is known as the Second Battle of Oporto.
Wellington's headquarters were at The Serra Convent high on a bluff overlooking Oporto from the south side of the Douro River. British guns located nearby fired directly on French troops on the northern river shore.
Below left and right, the Monastery of Serra do Pilar, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, begun in 1538 by the Order of St. Augustine.
Middle row, left, Today's view of the River Douro and Oporto from Serra; right, reproduction of traditional Douro River craft.

Above left, British medal commemorating the Battle of the Douro, featuring Wellington's distinctive profile; right, the reverse side.

A tour of Peninsular War sites will be led by Kristine Hughes and military historian and author Gareth Glover in May, 2024.
For more Information, click the link.
http://numberonelondontours.com/peninsular-war-tour/

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July 14th, 2023

7/14/2023

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A Neo-Classic Sojourn in Rome

6/27/2023

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There is so much to do in Rome, one could be hastening around all day every day. Which we were, except Rome at Easter is super crowded. Travel advice: Don't go then unless you love a mass of humanity. We stayed at the Westin Excelsior, on the Via Veneto, a delightful mix of neo-classic and beaux arts design. Below, the lobbies and rooms were both comfortable and beautiful and the service was excellent. Please remember to click on the photos for complete copies.

Below, left: The Borghese Gallery; right, a 2nd century copy of Sleeping Hermaphroditus discovered in1781. The original, an ancient marble sculpture found in the early 17th century, which once stood here, is now in the Louvre.

Above, left: Apollo and Daphne, a marble sculpture by the Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598-1680), created between 1622 and 1625, and hailed as one of the artistic marvels of the Baroque age. In Ovid's Metamorphosis, the nymph Daphne escaped from Apollo by changing into a laurel tree. At right, a close up of Daphne's foot turning into leaves.
Below, two views of Venus Vitrix by Antonio Canova (1757-1822), a renowned Italian neo-classic sculptor, in actuality portraying Pauline Bonaparte Borghese, commissioned by her second husband, Camillo Borghese, 6th Prince of Sulmona.

Above left, Pauline Bonaparte (1780-1825) was a sister of Napoleon Bonaparte. A life-seize reclining figure, the portrayal was created in Rome between 1805 and 1808.
Above, right, a copy of the statue in the British Embassy in Paris. When the Duke of Wellington acquired L’hôtel de Charost, the British Embassy in Paris, 39 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, in August, 1814, after the first defeat of Napoleon and his exile to Elba, Wellington purchased it indirectly from Pauline Borghese. A replica of the renowned Canova sculpture still stands in the British Embassy.
Below, left, the Palazzo Bonaparte in the Piazza Venezia in Rome, one of the homes of Napoleon's mother, Letizia, also known as Madame Mere. We attended both to see the building and the vanGogh exhibition. Right, we were amused to see the replica of Canova's sculpture Napoleon as Mars, the Peacemaker, aka Mars the God of War. (You choose.)

Above, left, the replica in Rome's Palazzo Bonaparte. Right, the original, which stands in Apsley House in London. Canova was asked to make a bust of Napoleon in 1802 but chose instead to create this large statue representing Napoleon as Mars, Roman God of War. Napoleon disliked the statue and consigned it to storage. After his eventual defeat, it was acquired by the Prince Regent in 1816 and presented to Wellington. The floor of Wellington's residence at No. 1 London had to be reinforced to hold the weighty marble statue which stands over ten feet tall.
Below, a pair of the vanGogh (1853-1890) paintings in the exhibition from the Kroller-Muller Museum in The Netherlands. At left, Flowers in a Blue Vase, 1887; at right, Garden in Saint-Remy, 1889.

Below left, the view of Rome from the Capitoline Hill. Right, the Capitoline Venus.

Above, left and right, The Capitoline Venus:
From the Text Panel: "The statue, slightly larger than life size, was found sometime between 1667 and 1670 near the basilica of San Vitale and given to the Capitoline Museums by Pope Benedict XIV in 1752. The Goddess is nude, portrayed in a sensual but modest gesture, her arms attempting to hide the harmonious shapes of her body from the viewer’s sight. The objects at her feet, her nudity, and the arrangement of her hair indicate that she she is bathing. The statue is a variant of the Aphrodite sculpted by Praxiteles in the fourth century B.C. for the goddess’s shrine at Cnidus Turkey...The number of known replicas and variants of this work attest to its success in the Roman world. The high value ascribed to this statue is borne out by the fact that it was discovered hidden in a walled up space, where its owner hoped to save it from some impending danger."
The Capitoline Venus was one of many ancient Roman treasures taken by Napoleon and installed in the Louvre in Paris. It was returned to the Palazzo Nuovo on the Campidoglio in 1816. About fifty copies exist, most in museums, but also as garden sculptures.

Piazza Navona... Arrivederci, Roma!

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Jane Austen & The Royal Naval Dockyards, Bermuda

6/5/2023

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On a recent Cruise from Miami, Florida, to Rome, Italy, Kristine Hughes and I visited Bermuda, my very first time though one of many jaunts there for KH. Our ship docked at the Royal Naval Dockyards (RND), a complex now developed into museums, a dolphin activity, shops, and many colorful restaurants. We headed straight to the museum.

Bermuda is a collection of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, 650 miles east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. A British territory with local self-government, Bermuda has a subtropical climate and today is a tourist and resort magnet. When we were in port, there were three large cruise shops docked.
The English settlers arrived in the early 17th C., about 1612, establishing a maritime economy which remains today. After the American Revolution, the island became a major base for His Majesty's Navy and remained so until the mid 20th C.

Above, deep within the thick stone walls, text panels told the history of the fort and naval dockyard over several centuries. Below. left, the Commissioner's House, built in 1820; right, uniform and regimental drums on exhibit.

Two of Jane Austen's brothers were officers in the Royal Navy, and long after her death in 1817, both were promoted to the rank of Admiral. Below, right, Sir Francis Austen (1774-1865) fifth of the six Austen brothers, and, left, Sir Charles Austen (1779-1852), the sixth, spent their careers serving around the globe.

Frances (Fanny) FitzWilliams Palmer Austen (1789–1814) is the subject of Jane Austen's Transatlantic Sister, based on her papers, by Sheila Johnson Kindred. Fanny, above right, met Captain Charles Austen, Jane Austen’s youngest brother, in her home in Bermuda when Charles served as a naval officer in the West Indies. The youngest daughter of the Attorney General of Bermuda, Fanny was born in Bermuda and married Charles in May, 1807. Their first child, Cassy, was born in December 1808. Between 1809 and 1812, Fanny sailed in his ships between Bermuda and Halifax, Nova Scotia, five times. She and her daughters lived on the HMS Namur off the Kent coast from 1812-14. After just seven years of marriage, Fanny died there, after the birth of their fourth daughter; the child died at three weeks of age.

Sheila Johnson Kindred based her book on letters which chart "how Fanny was a source of naval knowledge for Jane, and how she was an inspiration for Austen's literary invention, especially for the female naval characters in Persuasion. Although she died young, Fanny's story is a compelling record of female naval life that contributes significantly to our limited knowledge of women's roles in the Napoleonic Wars."

Sheila Kindred was born in Ontario, and lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She taught philosophy at Saint Mary's University, Halifax. The book is published by McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2017.

You can follow Sheila's blogs on Jane Austen's Naval World at
https://sheilajohnsonkindred.com/news

Audible version of Least Likely Lovers will be available any day now. Narrated by the excellent voice artist June DeBorahae, you can find it via Amazon and Audible soon.

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<<Previous

Visiting Stowe House

Stowe Landscape Gardens, Buckinghamshire

Staying at Hartwell House, Aylesbury, Bucks

Travel Pause to Visit Old Friends at Home

Going to the Dogs...Wallace Collection

And again to London...

The Peninsular War...Tidbits in 2023

July 14th, 2023

A Neo-Classic Sojourn in Rome

Jane Austen & The Royal Naval Dockyards, Bermuda

Victoria Hinshaw, Author

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