The Lady Anson Portraits
The first portrait (top left) of Lady Anson is found at Shugborough Hall. The painting is exactly the same in all respects to a copy (shown top right) whose whereabouts is unknown (although Charlotte Alcock told me she felt it might be in Critchel, Dorset). Alcock said:
"The painting of Lady Elizabeth Yorke we have at Shugborough is a copy of the original painting by Thomas Hudson .....the original painting has a copy of a Poussin painting on the papers that she holds. For some reason, unknown to us, the copy did not have this detail added..." (letter of 6th September 2001, Charlotte Alcock).
Therefore in the original painting Lady Yorke holds papers which depict the Poussin painting 'Shepherds of Arcadia' Version One. This may seem somewhat strange considering Shugborough Hall is famous for a copy of a Poussin painting, Shepherds of Arcadia Version Two (see below).
"The painting of Lady Elizabeth Yorke we have at Shugborough is a copy of the original painting by Thomas Hudson .....the original painting has a copy of a Poussin painting on the papers that she holds. For some reason, unknown to us, the copy did not have this detail added..." (letter of 6th September 2001, Charlotte Alcock).
Therefore in the original painting Lady Yorke holds papers which depict the Poussin painting 'Shepherds of Arcadia' Version One. This may seem somewhat strange considering Shugborough Hall is famous for a copy of a Poussin painting, Shepherds of Arcadia Version Two (see below).
The Shepherds Monument (see right) at Shugborough Hall shows the shepherds from Poussin's painting 'Shepherds of Arcadia' in reverse - known as version 2 (c. 1637-1638 - see above right).
The depiction on Lady Yorke's 'papers' is Poussins' 'Shepherds of Arcadia' Version 1 (see above - painted c. 1629 - © Devonshire Collection, Chatsworth). |
Are we meant to imply any kind of intent on these omissions and changes? The tomb in the monument has a kind of pyramid top added to it. Why reverse the shepherds? Why was the papers held by Lady Yorke changed? What has it been changed to? (seems to me to depict a Roman of Greek person holding an open book). Does it all tie in with the famous undecipherable letter message at the bottom of the monument? Below are some further close up pictures of the monument.
There are many people who have tried to 'crack the code' on the Shepherds Monument at Shugborough Hall. If you are interested in one of the latest theories which involves Bérenger Saunière , see HERE.