Posts

Showing posts from June, 2020

Review of "Elizabeth Craven, Writer, Feminist and European"

Image
This review of "Elizabeth Craven, Writer, Feminist and European" appeared on the Bookworm blog. New Book Alert: Elizabeth Craven: Writer, Feminist, European by Julia Gasper; Wonderful Feminist Biography of a Great Independent Woman Forgotten By History                                                     Portrait of Lady Elizabeth Craven, Later Princess Berkeley, Margravine of Brandenburg-Anspach by Ozias Humphrey New Book Alert: Elizabeth Craven: Writer, Feminist, European by Julia Gasper; Wonderful Feminist Biography of a Great Independent Woman Forgotten By History By Julie Sara Porter Bookworm Reviews Spoilers: One of the things that I have enjoyed the most about being an Editor/Book Reviewer is learning about different historical people and events, many of which I was previously unfamiliar. I recently reviewed  L’Agent Double,  Kit Sergeant's novel which featured the infamous Mata Hari and two other female spies of WWI that were just as important but have

Sophie de Tott's portrait of Comtesse de Tessé

Image
This portrait in oils of Adrienne, Comtesse de Tessé, the foster mother of Sophie de Tott, was reproduced in the late François Schlumberger's book Chaville et Viroflay , published in 1997. It portrays her in a very sympathetic manner, as a thoughtful, gentle and sensitive person. She is dressed in a delicate shade of cream with trimmings of pale salmon pink. The light seems to bathe her in an almost golden hue, allowing the gown and her skin to blend into each other without any harsh boundaries. We know that Mme de Tessé was not considered beautiful but the portrait depicts her as gracious and kind. There is something relaxed and informal about her posture that is very pleasing and gives the impression that we are meeting her on intimate terms. Schlumberger said that the original painting was at the time of publication in the private collection of a certain Monsieur Léotard, a descendant of the family of the Comte de Mun, a close friend of the Tessé family. M. Léotard

5-star Reviews for Sophie de Tott, Artist in a Time of Revolution

Image
Five-star ratings and reviews are coming in for " Sophie de Tott, Artist in a Time of Revolution, " on book websites such as Goodreads and Amazon, and on social media.  Amazon Customer 5.0 out of 5 stars   Artist, novelist, musician, refugee Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2020 I found this a fascinating read. Sometime in the year 1800, 42-year-old Sophie de Tott from Paris, artist, novelist, refugee and strong supporter of the Bourbon monarchy, flees from Hamburg to Maddox Street, London, to escape Napoleon's agents and the likely guillotine. In London she continues to paint portraits for a living, as she has done with some success in the Hanseatic city. The French Revolution had upended so many lives - occasionally for the better, as would be the case with Fanny Burney and her French refugee husband. Julia Gasper's absorbing account of the daring, peripatetic existence of Sophie de Tott, however, makes it clear that in this