It must have been my donation!

[intertext]

It was, of course, my two pounds, or whatever it was, that put this over the top. But I'm so happy to report that the John Donne portrait in the National Portrait Gallery has been saved.

http://www.artfund.org/news/441

Don't you love his long fingers? And such a big nose... oh, Mr. Donne, no wonder so many of your poems were about sex...

Comments

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

Good news, isn't it? I saw the painting for the first time when I went to the Shakespeare exhibition in March and it is fascinating. However, I'd dearly like to see them analyse it, maybe x-ray or clean it. Close scrutiny suggests to me it's been touched up at some point as some of the details don't make sense. I also want to know if it's just grubby or really that black to start with. Close to there are details of pleating on the doublet.

I love the hands too, but remain somewhat mystified as to claims that John Donne looks sexy. The mind yes, the poetry too (and it is poetry about love, not love poetry), but the face ... I'm not convinced.

[intertext.livejournal.com]

Heh. Yes, I don't think JD looks sexy, so much as he looks as if he knows about sex. And I like your distinction that it's poetry about love, not love poetry... But it is a very compelling portrait and it's great that it's been saved.

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

Ah right, I understand the distinction you make. Several people in my lit class did not understand the distinction, however. Nor about the love poetry. Strangely, in the end, I think I 'got' Jack Donne rather better than they did., for all that they cooed over the portrait a lot more than I did. And yes ... his is a knowing, almost mocking face in some ways. I like the way he stares out, almost challenging the viewer to agree or disagree with him.

[intertext.livejournal.com]

maybe it's being *cough* of a certain age (both of us) that adds insight? For all that his early poetry in particular is "young man's" coterie writing, ie showing off his knowledge and prowess to all his friends, AND that many of the component parts - even plot lines - are cribbed from Ovid (I could give you chapter and verse...), looking at his portrait makes me think that he knows what he's writing about :)

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

maybe it's being *cough* of a certain age (both of us) that adds insight?

You'd think so, wouldn't you? The worst offender was the Wife of Bath, who is defintely a woman of a certain age, who has lived rather more than I have by all accounts.

But yes, I think he knows what he's talking about, anad suspect that as I keep rereading his work, I'll think that even more. I don't believe I could ever tire of reading Donne.