I visited the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge recently and this was one of the 'little gems' that I found. It is a George Stubbs' painting - Una and the Lion Isabella Saltonstall as Una in Spensers Faerie Queene, 1782.
I have never seen a Stubbs based on a typical Georgian actor or actress portrait as you might see other painters of the period. So it was great surprise especially as I had been recently looking at Stubbs horse painting. Further thinking I can not remember many other pictures based on the Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queen. I only knew of the book because of Michael Moorcock's novel Glorianna or the Unfilled Queen. This used some familiar Moorcockian themes and a homage to one of his influences - Mervyn Peake - Gormeghast Trilogy.
No comments:
Post a Comment