GAINSBOROUGH AND THE DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 825, 22 December 1882, Page 2

GAINSBOROUGH AND THE DUCHESS OF DEVONSHIRE.

Amongst those who sat to him was the :lovely young Duchess of Devon- ‘ shire. Her beauty and the charrai ttf her conversation seem tojj have> taken; > from him his usual readiness ot hand - and quick happiness of touch. The -- portrait was so little to his satisfactidn • that he would not send it to Chats- f worth. Drawing his wet brush across a mouth which all who saw it thought exquisitely lovely, he said, “ Her Grace > is too hard for me.” This picture was, it is believed, destroyed. Those of her Grace exhibited in the Royal.: Academy in 1778 and 1783 are subset quent works. The history of one portrait of the beautiful duchess, said to be , by Gainsborough, but the authenticity'; of which has been more than once.,’, questioned, is remarkable. Its. ear}y career is uncertain, but it is known to have been purchased in 1839 by-Mr Bentley, a picture restorer, for Lsojahd afterwards sold by him to Mr Wynn- , Ellis for L 63, a very small price, if the |- picture were genuine.. It took, how-*' ever, an honored place 2 iii the latter’s collection, and when brought to; .tfaeU hammer at Messrs Christie’s on the 6th May, 1876, there was a vigorous contest for its possession among the wealthy connoisseurs and dealers. The bidding commenced at 1,600: atid?' closed at 10,000 guineas, Mr Agnew becoming its owner at the latter figure, - a monstrous price for a picture of which the genuineness was more than doubt-* - ful. Less than three weeks afterwards (oh the night of the 25th and 26th of the same month) this-valuable canvas. - was cut from its frame and stolen from the room in which it had been on view in Old Bond street. A large reward •; was offered foi its recovery, but the mystery of the robbery remains unex-- - plained to-day. ! :