Marie-Antoinette
The picture in the oval frame is, alas, not Marie Antoinnette, but a 1785 portrait by Thomas Gainsborough of Mrs. Sarah Siddons. The original hangs in the
National Portrait Gallery in London.
"Sarah Siddons (1755 - 1831), the outstanding tragic actress of her time, was the daughter of Roger Kemble; she married William Siddons in 1773. Reynolds and other artists also painted her portrait. "Gainsborough is reported to have had difficulties with the nose and to have exclaimed, 'Confound the nose, there's no end to it.' Pentimenti can be seen in both the nose and the right hand.The painting was finished by the end of March 1785." I'd love to see the original one day, nose and all. What an actress she must have been!
submitted by Constant-Aurore
