Again, apologies for nothing yesterday but I will make up for it today.
Yesterday was spent at Tate Britain, Millbank looking at our cousins with our cousin.
We had arranged to meet our cousin in the foyer first. She had travelled especially to do this.
The Tate is big so we wandered about through the different galleries soaking up the atmosphere and the art and then we found “our” painting.
It is obviously a very popular picture and possibly the must-see of their collection.
We asked a total stranger to take our photo standing in front to show all of us cousins together. The two little girls are our first cousins three times removed, I think. They are our Great Great Aunt Kate’s (of the Diaries) first cousins. Their mothers were sisters.
It was nice to see they had an armed guard taking care of our cousins.
But I was slightly concerned by their neighbours, for obvious reasons. Young men all “bare nekkid”. I expect the girls avert their gaze in good Victorian fashion.
And we wandered around, going from room to room, admiring the incredible artists, some of whom were contemporaries of Aunt Kate, which made it even more fascinating. I even managed to dredge up some Greek, or was it Roman, God mythology for my cousin, which hopefully suitably impressed her.
Of course I had to take a photo of this painting but I found it worrying as the cliff was far too alluring. Lambie would’ve been down that in a shot to go and get stuck.
Finally, the gift shop and we found you could buy our cousins in many forms including a spectacle case, fridge magnet, bar of chocolate and a tea towel!
It was a memorable day out and I’m glad we’ve all seen Polly and Dorothy (or Poz and Doz as they were always known) together as a family.
Wow! I know that painting! It’s one of my favorites of John Singer Sargeant who is so very good. I had no idea they were your family. That is so cool! And glad you got a picture of you guys in front of it. Wow! Fabulous that you got to be with it.
Have to get back to London to see the Tate. Last time it was the V7A for Sister #2 and I. What fun you must have had with the cousins, living and painted.
So pleased you’re having such a lovely time. xx
I’m so glad you got to see Poz and Doz in person, especially with your sister and cousin. When I saw it last year I was amazed at how big it is. How funny to be able to buy them in the gift shop – that made me laugh out loud!
Following our conversation- I found I had a post card of your picture in my card collection-a fav. Glad you got to see it, what about the sketches?
Hope you brought a fridge magnet!
Sketches were on loan somewhere. Saw mother in the Stores too (she looked apprehensive and rather sad). No, to the fridge magnet. I think we already have it, plus a few other things. I took my letters to the Store and they could not have been more disinterested (Doz writing to my great great aunt Kate while on holiday in Italy painting with Sargent).
What a wonderful day! Like many other people I absolutely adore that painting as well- The light from those lanterns is just so magical. Enjoy!
Pretty amazing, all of it.