“Miss Brunton of Covent Garden Theatre, was married to the Earl of Craven, at seven in the evening at Craven House, and the following day the happy pair set off to Coombe Abbey.” Jackpot! A comic actress of some renown, Louisa Bruton replaced the fabled Covent Garden luminary Elizabeth Farren, who had retired from the stage to become the Countess of Derby. Louisa purposely followed all of Farren’s footsteps. The Brutons were a minor (extremely minor) theatrical dynasty of which Louisa was the most famous. She went to great lengths to stress that she was an artiste, not an actress (read courtesan) just as Farren had. Perhaps somewhat less convincing - note the ensemble in the second portrait - she still managed to catch her own Earl, retiring from the theatre after only 4 years. She and her sportsman husband - the Earl, a founder of the Royal Yacht Squadron, named his yacht ‘Louisa’ - raised their family at his country estate. She lived on there in seclusion for 35 years after his death, sponsoring local charities - the perfect personification of an aristocrat. Louisa will return to public performances at TEFAF New York Fall - opening November 1 at the Park Avenue Armory. ************************************* Though almost all known images of Louisa are either by or after Samuel John Stump, it appears likely that the majority were based on the second image, that of Louisa on leopard skin, signed and dated 1807. Upon Louisa catching the Count, Stump had to quickly clean up her act, so he dressed her in diaphanous blue and lace, befitting her soon-to-be station. ************************************* By Henry Pierce Bone, enamel on copper, inscribed, signed & dated 1837. ************************************* @tefaf_art_fair #TEFAF #TEFAFNY #TEFAFNYFall #TEFAFNewYorkFall #TEFAFNewYorkFall2019 #ParkAvenueArmory #PortraitMiniature #PortraitMiniatures #MiniaturePortrait #MiniaturePortraits #HistoricArt #CountessofCraven #LouisaBruton #LouisaCountessofCraven #BritishPortrait #elleshushan #BritishPortraitMiniature #HenryPierceBone #SamuelJohnSturmp https://www.instagram.com/p/B2AQqNLH7Lt/?igshid=w92tghxmozat
