Portrait of Anne Fairfax
Painted by the French artist, Phillipe Mercier in about 1742, we see Anne depicted in pious mood as a shepherdess.
Portrait of Anne Fairfax
The painting had disappeared at the beginning of the 20thC but re-surfaced at a North Country sale in 1985 and was purchased for the museum by Anthony and Betty Royle.
Anne was a troubled young woman and seemingly difficult to please. She was engaged twice to wealthy Catholic gentlemen, but neither were really committed to practising the faith and the engagements were called off, leaving the father to pick up the pieces.
Anne is portrayed in pious mood as shepherdess, holding a French shepherd's crook known as a 'houlette', this would be used like a spoon to pick up stones or clods of earth and slingshot them in front of the herd to keep control.
In the distance on a hill is a castle and may well be a depiction of Gilling Castle, the country seat for this branch of the Fairfax family.
Anne was a troubled young woman and seemingly difficult to please. She was engaged twice to wealthy Catholic gentlemen, but neither were really committed to practising the faith and the engagements were called off, leaving the father to pick up the pieces.
Anne is portrayed in pious mood as shepherdess, holding a French shepherd's crook known as a 'houlette', this would be used like a spoon to pick up stones or clods of earth and slingshot them in front of the herd to keep control.
In the distance on a hill is a castle and may well be a depiction of Gilling Castle, the country seat for this branch of the Fairfax family.
This object is located in Anne's Bedroom
It is categorised as Painting
This page was last updated on 11 April 2007