TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Kumara Times, Issue 2396, 7 May 1884, Page 2

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

J.Y.—Gainsborough’s picture of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, was bought by Messrs Agnew, of London, for £IO,OOO. It was stolen from their house in Bond street, London, during the night of May 24-25, 1876. Gainsborough was an English painter ; he was born in 1727, and died in 1788. He was one of the most eminent landscape painters. After his marriage, at. 19, ho set up in Bath as a portrait painter, in which capacity he was very successful. His portraits were remarkable as striking likenesses, but not carefully finished. His best were those of the Royal Family ; of Abel, the composer ; and Quin, the actor. But his fame rests chiefly on his landscapes. His most celebrated picture is “The Blue Boy,” in the Devonshire Gallery, which we had the pleasure of seeing many years ago. There is no such title as the Duke of Gainsborough. There is an Earl of Gainsborough ; his family name is Chas. W. F. Noel. H. W.—The planet Yenus, so conspicuous in the west on fine evenings, reached its greatest elongatinn east on Friday last. It will be at its greatest brilliancy this year in the middle of August, in the mornings, about a month before it reaches its greatest elongation west.