Object of the Day: A Painting by W.A. Young

Autumn leaves glint amber and gold in the fading light of day, reflecting against the still waters of a stream. A woman in a silver robe—lined in brilliant crimson, and hemmed in ebony—raised a violin to her peach-hued cheek. She is about to play, to serenade nature. At her feet, a tangle of wild flowers breathe the last gasps of Spring. Her song signifies the changing of seasons and the passage of time. Her countenance shows her resolve that things are fleeting, and, yet, she celebrates the morphing of the world around her.

This painting by W.A. Young is at first, a bucolic genre painting. However, on closer inspection, it is a startling study of contrasts. The statuesque beauty of the woman is a counterpoint to the fading majesty of the napping trees. The stillness of the water juxtaposes the life in her limbs. It is a moment in time, captured for eternity.

Dating to the 1870’s, there’s some mystery as to who W.A. Young is. My research indicates that this is most likely the work of the English Artist/Historian, W.A. Young who famously worked in cataloging the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in the late Nineteenth Century. Influenced by the monumental works of the late Eighteenth Century, this painting is rendered with a heavy, deliberate hand and clearly shows influences of earlier great English painters. Regardless of the artist’s identity, this work is quick to tell us that time is fleeting.

Song of the Week: "Jerusalem" by Hubert Parry

And did those feet in ancient time.

Walk upon Englands mountains green:

And was the holy Lamb of God,

On Englands pleasant pastures seen!

Hubert Parry (1848-1918) is often considered the greatest English composer since Purcell. He is most famous for his works: “Repton,” the coronation anthem, “I Was Glad” and his masterpiece, “Jerusalem.”

Women's Suffrage Meeting from Punch Magazine, 1911

“Jerusalem” is based on the poem, “And did those feet in ancient time” by William Blake. The poem tells the apocryphal tale of young Jesus and Joseph of Arimathea traveling to England and likens itself to the idea of “The Second Coming” wherein a new “Jerusalem” is founded—a metaphor for Heaven.

In 1918, Parry conducted “Jerusalem” at a “Fight for the Right” Suffragette Rally at Queen’s Hall. The song became embraced by the National Federation of Women’s Institutes as an anthem to underscore their struggle to earn the vote in Britain—their own “Jerusalem.”

Beloved to this day, “Jerusalem,” is a popular hymn which is still associated with not only women’s rights, but the right of everyone to find their own piece of Heaven.

The Belle Époque Today: The Paintings of Richard Foster, RP

Interior by Richard Foster, RP

A member of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters since 1976, Richard Foster, is, doubtless, one of the finest portrait and landscape painters of his generation. With commissions by the Royal Family, and notable celebrities such as Sir Anthony Hopkins and the Corsini Family, Foster is highly in demand. His expert work is marked by a gentle hand and a masterful use of media. His brushstrokes are bold, yet sensitive, imbuing his work with a sense of immediacy which creates the overall effect of a candid snapshot. With an impeccable sense of color and skillful control of light, Foster gives life to his subjects.


I would recommend browsing his Web site. His work is most exceptional. At once modern and traditional, the art of Richard Foster shows us that we are still capable of creating works of exquisite beauty.

Person of the Week: Diana, Princess of Wales

Portrait by Richard Foster, RP

What would have been a “fairy tale” was a life shadowed by pain and doubt. Though some will debate the nature of her true character, no one can deny that Diana, Princess of Wales, was one of the most beautiful and fascinating women of the last century.


August 31 marks the anniversary of her tragic death in 1997. If you’re reading this blog, chances are you remember her wedding to the Prince of Wales. I recall sitting downstairs in our family room as a child, watching her in her magnificent dress on that day. Since then, I’ve always had a soft spot for Diana, and I was terribly saddened to learn of her death.

We all know all of the tabloid junk. Let’s look past that now. Here was a woman who came from the wealthy, aristocratic Spencer family—rooted in centuries of power and prestige. She married the Prince of Wales. Here’s someone who could have been vain and vapid—intolerant and shallow. Yet, she wasn’t. No matter what life threw at Diana, she soldiered on. She was human—subject to the same highs and lows that all of us are, and, so she reacted as any human would. However, she was undeterred in her missions. She put two priorities above all else—protecting her children and helping humanity.

Her visits to patients with AIDS and Leprosy were not the stuff of photo-opportunities. She touched, she talked, she genuinely cared. She made it her goal to try to make people feel better, to make them feel wanted, loved and important and to try to give them some of the things that she seemed to feel she lacked in her own life. Diana worked with the homeless, the elderly and the lost. Through her efforts, she looked after soldiers, people battling addiction and people who felt they had nowhere else to turn.

She was effortlessly beautiful whether in couture or khakis. Draped in diamonds or wearing a helmet, her beauty came from within. Hers was a light that could have been extinguished by circumstance, yet she kept it burning as brightly as she could. For that, we can still learn from her today. And, so, one week before the anniversary of her death, Diana, Princess of Wales, is our person of the week.

Treat of the Week: Marble Pound Cake

Just as glass rods are sliced to create beautiful millefiori, this stunning marble pound cake is sliced to reveal an equal gorgeousness. This week’s glimpse at some of my mother’s masterful handiwork, is a luxurious sour cream pound cake—marbleized with luscious chocolate. Dense, yet moist, this cake has “a good crumb” as they say in the baking world.

The top of the cake has been dusted with confectioners’ sugar which, by the next day, softens the delicate top crust to a creamy, sweet layer. My mother has been making this cake for as long as I can remember. It’s a family favorite. Whether you have a piece for breakfast or with a cup of tea later in the day, one bite will remind you that life can be beautiful. Add some whipped cream to make it utterly decadent.

And, as an editorial note, while doggies are not to have chocolate (for their own good), they do enjoy licking the beaters after the cream is whipped.

Term for the Day: Millefiori

From the Italian, meaning “a thousand flowers,” the glassmaking technique of millefiori has been employed for centuries, especially by Venetian glassmakers. Glass canes known as murrine are created from layers of multi-colored glass which are heated and stretched until they become long, delicate rods. These rods are then sliced, revealing the pattern within. The resulting beads or disks, when viewed from the top, resemble flowers.

The term millefiori was first used in 1849 by Apsley Pellatt in his book Curiosities of Glass Making. Prior to that, these disks were called “mosaic beads.” Millefiori can be used in clusters to create an infinite amount of designs on an sort of glassware. Their playful shapes and brilliant colors add a liveliness to the glasswork that became the signature of the craftsmen of Venice.

Punch's Cousin, Chapter 25

“Well, then,” Julian said softly. “Tell me.”


“Julian, you asked how I know of ‘The Elegant Ogress.’ If you’ll recall, I hesitated. I wasn’t eager to tell you because it’s a matter of my family’s honor.”

“I don’t recall that,” Julian responded, wide-eyed—unaware that the conversation had taken place between Robert and Punch.

Robert blushed. “You were quite drowsy at the time. It’s no wonder you don’t remember. We had just come back here after breakfast. You were napping while I rambled on. You had asked me why I was on this ship.” He tried to shield Julian from the reality of his lost time.

“Why don’t I remember that?” Julian sighed.

“As I told you,” Robert stalled, “I booked passage on the ship so that I could go to New Orleans to see my brother, Cecil.”

“The brother you mentioned who knows Nanny Rittenhouse’s employer?” Julian nodded.

“Yes. Cecil’s wife just bore him a son—Fuller.” Robert continued.

“Congratulations.” Julian said.

“Thank you. I’m told he’s a fine, healthy boy. But, you see, there was some concern that Adrienne—that’s Cecil’s wife—would be able to carry a healthy child.”

“Why is that?” Julian asked.

“Her life has been, shall we say, difficult.” Robert answered softly.

“How so?” Julian asked.

“You see, Julian, Adrienne had been employed…” Robert paused. “She had been one of Iolanthe Evangeline’s girls.”

“She was…”

“Yes,” Robert nodded slowly, “She managed to escape that life and fled to a town by the river—Marionneaux. The Elegant Ogress sent her henchmen after her, but Cecil managed to protect her. He fell in love with her immediately and made her his wife. I know the great lengths that this Evangeline woman will go to ensure she gets her way. She’s dangerous. Adrienne had once been a great lady herself—from a fine French family. She was unjustly…” Robert shook his head. “We don’t need to get into all of that right now. Let’s say simply that she fell into the wrong hands.”

“I see.” Julian sighed.

“Now they’re happy. They live comfortably. She takes care of their home while Cecil is sculpting. He’s a wax sculptor, you see. However, the threat of Iolanthe’s wrath is ever-present. That is how I know of the ogress.”

“I’m glad that you told me, Robert.” Julian responded. “However, that doesn’t answer my question. I asked you to tell me what is wrong with me. You’re postponing your answer.”

“Sir, nothing is wrong with you.” Robert lied. “You’re simply weary and overwhelmed by your voyage.”

“I don’t believe you.” Julian twirled the ring on his left hand.

“You must.” Robert answered, sitting next to Julian. “You must.”

“Did you give Arthur that medicine to administer to me?” Julian asked.

“No, Julian, I did not.”

“And, I suppose that’s another thing that I ‘must’ believe.”

“Yes.”

“Robert, I’m not a man who trusts easily.” Julian said plainly.

“Nor should you be.” Robert patted Julian’s knee.

“Why then, should I trust you?” Julian asked.

“Because I know pain.” Robert smiled. “I understand the agony of life.”

Julian shrugged. “In itself, I suppose that’s enough.”

“Will you rest now?” Robert asked.

“Do I have a choice?” Julian inhaled sharply.

“No, my friend. You do not.”

“Resting isn’t my strong suit.” Julian mumbled.

“I’ll help you.” Robert smiled.

They sat in comfortable silence, unaware that someone was about to shatter that comfort.

At that very moment, Arthur was bounding onto the deck of the Hyperion, panting.

“He wouldn’t take it.” Arthur hissed to a shabbily dressed man who stood by the rail.

“And why not?” The man asked.

“That Halifax bloke interrupted us.” Arthur explained.

“Try again.” The man grunted.

“No!” Arthur spat. “You’re the one what’s got all the ideas! You’re the puppet master! You find a way!”

“I don’t like your tone, boy.” The man growled. “From here on, you’ll address me as ‘Professor.’”

“Yes, Sir.” Arthur’s face turned red.

“Fine. You go make sure the letters to the Duchess are in order. I will take care of Lord Julian. I think what we need is a more feminine touch.”

“She won’t do it, Sir.” Arthur trembled.

“Oh, yes she will.” The man laughed. “She’ll do anything I say.”



Did you miss Chapters 1-24? If so, you can read them here.