Abbot Hall Visit 3
15/03/2023 A more detailed look at some late 18th/ early 19th century items of clothing from the Abbot Hall collection. Documentation as preparation for inclusion in lower half of countess diptych.
Four dresses.
Two pairs of lady’s shoes.
1 gentleman’s waistcoat.
Few of these items have a detailed provenance/history, so let us make one for them. In the manner that the like of Romney, Ramsay, Reynolds sometimes dictated what their sitters should wear, one of these might just become the countess’ new dress. This in turn provides an opening for a discussion on the legacy of her landownership. ‘And all for what? To pay for the planting of a new wood beyond the carriage-drive, two casks of claret and a nice new silken dress.’