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Item of the month, May 2010: Defying “Old graviation’s sway”
Etching and stipple print by P.W. Tomkins,1798, after Sir Joshua Reynolds, 1786. Wellcome Library no. 536282i In Roman history, the keepers of the temple of Vesta were the Vestal Virgins, who play a part in many myths and stories.… Continue reading
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Chevalier D’Éon: a bi-centenary
Charles Geneviève Louis Auguste André Timothée Chevalier D’Éon de Beaumont died 200 years ago on 21 May 1810 REQUIESCAT IN PACE Spy: his cloak-and-dagger activity in a world of smoke and mirrors would have baffled George Smiley. He practised this… Continue reading
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Luke Fildes at the bedside
As last weekend was the centenary of the death of Edward VII, it seems an appropriate occasion to highlight this image (46801i) from our collections. It was drawn by Sir Luke Fildes (1844-1927), shows the King on his deathbed, and… Continue reading
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Two empresses and their sons
SS. Constantine and Helena. Russian painting on wood. Wellcome Library no. 34400i Empresses are rarely encountered. However a small Russian painting in the Wellcome Library records a bond between two empresses who lived fifteen centuries apart. As will be seen,… Continue reading
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Forthcoming events
News of a pair of forthcoming public events, which draw on the expertise and skills of two members of Wellcome Library staff. On Thursday 24th September, Dr Lesley Hall, Senior Archivist, is speaking at ‘Sex: A Victorian Mystery’, a… Continue reading
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Mrs Bennett — before and after
These two paintings are part of an archive of Georgian paintings and drawings which appear to come from Leeds. Works from this old Yorkshire collection have been appearing in dribs and drabs, from several different dealers, since 2004. This pair… Continue reading