72.01 A Gentleman Farmer

English

Catalogue Number 72.01.

18th Century artist (unknown). Oils on canvas. 63.5cm. high by 52cm. wide. Gilt framed.

I met Jane in late 1971. At that time she was in charge of the Folk-life collection of the Warwickshire Museum, working under its redoubtable Curator, Jocelyn Morris. Part of her duties involved assessing folk-life items which had been offered to the Museum, and this in turn involved visiting villages and farms in rural Warwickshire, which we sometimes did together at weekends. At one such farm in a village called Cherington, we found this picture (and its twin - see next week) abandoned in an outbuilding in a rather sorry condition. We took and, I like to think, saved them both.

It is a typical family portrait of the period, probably painted by a local artist. It has not aged well and particularly the background has become very dark.

Spanish

Retrato de un granjero, obra de un artista desconocido del s. XVIII. Oleo sobre lienzo, de 52cm. de ancho x 63,5cm. de alto. Marco dorado. N° de Catálogo 72.01. Conocí a Jane a finales de 1971. En ese momento ella se encargaba de la colección Folk-life del Museo de Warwickshire, trabajando para su formidable curadora, Jocelyn Morris. Una parte de sus deberes consistia en evaluar artículos de la vida cotidiana que habían sido ofrecidos al Museo, y ello a su vez implicaba visitar aldeas y granjas en el Warwickshire rural, que a veces hacíamos juntos los fines de semana. En una granja de un pueblo llamado Cherington, encontramos esta foto (y su gemelo - ver la próxima semana) abandonado en una dependencia, en condiciones bastante precarias. Los adquirimos y, me gusta pensar, que los salvamos a los dos.

Es un típico retrato familiar de la época, probablemente pintado por un artista local. No ha envejecido bien y particularmente el fondo se ha vuelto muy oscuro.