Signing and a Blank Canvas

I think this picture is of the signing of The Anglo-French Free Trade Treaty 1860. It is sometimes called The Cobden–Chevalier Treaty after the men who set it up. 

This is Lord Palmerston during the later debates on the treaty in February 1860, as painted by John Phillip (1863) They are talking in the House of Commons. 

They had made some small but important errors, like writing 'harbour' instead of 'shipping'. And writing about English coal, instead of British. 

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“The Schleswig-Holstein question is so complicated, only three men in Europe have ever understood it. One was Prince Albert, who is dead. The second was a German professor who became mad. I am the third and I have forgotten all about it.”

Lord Palmerston  The Scottish artist John Phillip completed a self portrait in which he is confronted by a blank canvas.

Le Malade Imaginaire

Abraham Soloman - Le Malade Imaginaire - 1861

Abraham Soloman was the son of a straw hat manufacturer. His brother and sister were artists too, and also loved painting groups of people. 

Strangling the Serpents

'The Infant Hercules Strangling the Serpents' by Sir Joshua Reynolds

It was commissioned by Catherine the Great in 1785 and she trusted Reynolds to chose any subject matter he liked. 

He said I have chosen the theme of the superhuman strength of the infant Hercules, for the subject admits of an analogy – distant perhaps – with the mature and well-known power of the Russian Empire' 

Here is the commissioner as painted by V Borovikovskiy a bit later in 1794. 

She had lived with the baby Hercules painting for about 9 years. She is pointing at The Chesme Column. On the top is an eagle (symbol of Russia) and it is trampling a crescent moon (symbol of Turkey). 

Perhaps her love of the Chesme Column inspired Reynolds to create another scene symbolically representing Russian strength. 

Eagles fight with snakes, and at first glance the flick of the crescent moon looks like a snakes tail. 

Have a look -

The symbolism of the Eagles strength is as universal. Here is a Byzantine mosaic from The Grand Palace in Istanbul with an eagle and snake in mid battle.  

The Expulsion from Florence of the Duke of Athens

'The Expulsion from Florence of the Duke of Athens' by Stefano Ussi 

1861

José de Ribera

'The Adoration of the Shepherds' by José de Ribera in 1650. The newspaper calls him 'Lo Spagnoletto' which means 'The Little Spaniard' in Spanish. 

In 'Modern Artists: A Series of Illustrated Biographies' (1880-84) there is a print of Ribera at work, studying a life model.  

Ribera also painted St Paul the Hermit realistically in 1638. Here it is with an earlier icon of the same Saint.

*St Paul the Hermit was a 3rd century saint who escaped persecution by retreating to the Egyptian desert. He made his clothes from palm leaves and ate from the tree too.  He spent his time meditating. When he was 43, a raven started bringing him half a loaf of bread every day. He stayed in the desert for 100 years. 

Bettino Ricasoli

Bettino Ricasoli was the second Prime Minister of Italy. Before that he was Minister of the Interior in Tuscany.  

He became an orphan when he was 18. The Grand Duke of Tuscany said he was old enough to look after his younger brothers and look after the estate. 

A Family of a Neapolitan Fisherman

'A Neapolitan fisherman and his family' by German artist August Riedel in 1833.' 

I now think this is the original painting. I think the lute is bigger in the other painting because the artist wanted to paint a lute from life. It looks the wrong scale. In 1833 version there is a more harmonious balance.

Here is a portrait of August Riedel, drawn in 1827. The following year he moved to Italy where he learnt a lot about colour. Five years later he painted the Neapolitan family. 

This is his painting of Therese von Schenk 1831. She has dressed in black and white for the occasion. It makes me think that they talked to each other about colour, and she doubted herself. 

In Rome he was asked if he wanted to go back to live in Germany. 

He said 'No, I'd have no light there.'

The top engraving is the wine cellar of Lafite Castle as depicted in L'Univers Illustré. 

Below is Lafite Castle's modern wine label. They have been making wine for a long time and have been a consistent producer of the world's most expensive red wines. 

View of The Italian Theatre - 1st October Opening Day

French gridded paper used as a bookmark

Michelangelo's Tomb for Lorenzo de Medici.

At the same time he worked on the tomb 

of Giuliano de Mecidi. 

Here are the two tombs together -