ELIZABETH CRAVEN AND HER WORLD

Elizabeth Craven's elder brother, Frederick, 5th Earl of Berkeley, was one of the most eligible men in England. Clever, cultivated and well-travelled, owner of vast estates that included Berkeley Square in London and an ancestral castle, he was often busy running the Gloucester militia, which played an essential role in the defence of the kingdom during the Napoleonic Wars. He loved to wear the scarlet coat that proclaimed him colonel of this militia, the coat he is wearing in this portrait painted of him as a young man by Pompeo Batoni. And what a handsome young man he is. The 5th Earl was also an infamous Georgian rake, one of the most  dastardly libertines who ever ensnared an innocent female . He could have added lustre to his family name, but instead he made it notorious for all the wrong reasons. The scandal lingered on long after his death and had immense repercussions.  He really deserves to be classed along with the Lovelaces, Valmonts, Squire Thornhills, Wil...

Elizabeth Craven was an English traveller and writer who deserves to be better known. She was born in London in 1750, at the height of the Georgian era, and died at Naples in 1828. She wrote plays, novels, poems and letters in English and sometimes in French.  She was a witty, satirical social observer with a keen interest in the rights of women. A new biography published by Vernon Press sheds light on many fascinating details of her writings and her life, with its many events, friendships, scandals and love affairs.  The portrait shown here on the cover picture is by Ozias Humphry and is in the National Portrait Gallery although it is actually owned by the Tate.  The exact date is unknown. There are no records of Humphry meeting her until the 1790s, but the piled-up hairstyle and costume would be more characteristic of  c1780, when Craven was aged thirty. The painting captures her refined features and intelligence, with a hint of playfulness in the smile. ...