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#OTD 3 July 1880
1/
Over supper, Jules Bastien-Lepage, lost in admiration with Henry Irving’s face, begged to paint his portrait.
Irving agreed but after two sittings, disliking it, changed his mind.
Although unfinished, it's perhaps Irving's best.
https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitExtended/mw03385/Sir-Henry-Irving
1/
Over supper, Jules Bastien-Lepage, lost in admiration with Henry Irving’s face, begged to paint his portrait.
Irving agreed but after two sittings, disliking it, changed his mind.
Although unfinished, it's perhaps Irving's best.
https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portraitExtended/mw03385/Sir-Henry-Irving
2/
Sarah Bernhardt was at the supper too.
Bastien-Lepage had painted her portrait the previous year. That had taken 45 sittings!
He spoke no English, Irving no French, so maybe the prospect of the long post-show hours of silence was another reason for Irving calling it off...
Sarah Bernhardt was at the supper too.
Bastien-Lepage had painted her portrait the previous year. That had taken 45 sittings!
He spoke no English, Irving no French, so maybe the prospect of the long post-show hours of silence was another reason for Irving calling it off...
3/
Ellen Terry was also there that night:
"At the supper itself Bastien-Lepage drew on a half sheet of paper for me two little sketches, one of Sarah Bernhardt and the other of Henry, which are among my most precious relics."
They're now @SmallhytheNT
http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1117182.1
Ellen Terry was also there that night:
"At the supper itself Bastien-Lepage drew on a half sheet of paper for me two little sketches, one of Sarah Bernhardt and the other of Henry, which are among my most precious relics."
They're now @SmallhytheNT
http://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1117182.1
4/
This is a brilliant thread from Dr @RobertBohan about Jules Bastien-Lepage, which shows you just what a remarkable artist he was. He died in 1884, in Paris, at just 36 years old. https://twitter.com/RobertBohan/status/1277674237038333959?s=20
This is a brilliant thread from Dr @RobertBohan about Jules Bastien-Lepage, which shows you just what a remarkable artist he was. He died in 1884, in Paris, at just 36 years old. https://twitter.com/RobertBohan/status/1277674237038333959?s=20
5/
In 1951 a previously unknown copy of the portrait came to light, and was acquired by Irving's son Lawrence, swapped for some letters of George Bernard Shaw's.
The mystery surrounding the copy is explored in a 15 min podcast from @Dreweatts_1759 here:
https://www.dreweatts.com/news-insights/sir-henry-irving-portrait-mystery-modern-and-contemporary-art-october-2019/
In 1951 a previously unknown copy of the portrait came to light, and was acquired by Irving's son Lawrence, swapped for some letters of George Bernard Shaw's.
The mystery surrounding the copy is explored in a 15 min podcast from @Dreweatts_1759 here:
https://www.dreweatts.com/news-insights/sir-henry-irving-portrait-mystery-modern-and-contemporary-art-october-2019/
