signed with monogram and dated 'April.,53' (lower left)
pencil, pen and brown ink, on paper, with partial watermark dated 1843
6 x 5¼ in. (15.2 x 13.3 cm.)
Henry Polidori (or Polydore, as he anglicised it) was one of the eight children, four sons and four daughters, of Gaetano Polidori, a teacher of Italian in London and the son of a doctor. One of Henry's sisters, Frances, married Gabriele Rossetti, an Italian political refugee and Dante scholar, in 1826, and thus became the mother of Dante Gabriel, Christina and William Michael Rossetti.
Virginia Surtees reads the date as 1855.
http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/dante-gabriel-rossetti-portrait-of-henry-polidori/5521046/lot/lot_details.aspx?from=salesummary&pos=7&intObjectID=5521046&sid=93819c00-d98d-406c-88eb-e2cc4b172744&page=1
Did you know he was Lord Byron's doctor? He was present with Byron, Mary Shelly & Percy Shelly when the idea for Frankenstein was conceived. He also took up the challenge and wrote a vampire novel.
ReplyDeleteInteresting and talented family.
Thanks for all the work you do to share this art, I don't comment often but I enjoy it.
Kat
I didn't know that - so thanks very much. Feel free to comment or just enjoy. By the way there are some good Pre Raphaelite groups on Face Book if you belong.
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