Swiss painter François D'Albert Durade (1804-1886) composed the sketch, displayed first in this gallery exhibit, as a study for an 1850 oil painting. George Eliot resided in the home of François and Julie D'Albert Durade during her first trip to Switzerland, and she became close with the artist at that time (Holland 1881, 48). The oil painting that followed is frequently misdated as 1849, but Eliot mentions sitting for it in a letter dated 15 February 1850 (GEL 1954, 1: 257, 330). Following Eliot's death in 1880, Durade made a replica of this painting circa 1881. The replica is displayed third in this exhibit.
Featured in Exhibit
Date
19th century
Artist
Associated Places
Copyright
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Vetted?
No