Object of the Day: The Portrait of Julian

To be honest, I don’t know who the subject of this late Victorian portrait is, nor do I know who painted it, or even, the exact year it was painted. On the reverse of the frame, some clues have been scratched with some sort of metal implement. We know the portrait is English. The back of the frame says, “The General, Paid £95.” And, that’s all we know.


It’s a tenderly painted and delicate portrait of a young man in a smart brown suit of clothes and a burgundy cravat. When I was developing Punch’s Cousin, I had a distinct picture in my head of what Julian looked like. When I was in my dining room, I spotted this portrait (always one of my favorites) and thought, “he looks like Julian.” So, this unknown fellow became the face of Punch’s Cousin. In PhotoShop, I drew the face of Mr. Punch over the portrait to reinforce the presence of Julian’s other personality. And, thus, he’s become Julian. However, if Punch’s Cousin ever finds its way to the screen, I think Matt Bomer would make a good Julian/Mr. Punch. But, that’s a story for another time.