Why I’m forever drawn to Lady’s painting
LIKE John Cooper (Weekender), I am fascinated by John Singer Sargent’s portrait of Lady Agnew of Lochnaw, which now resides in the Scottish National Gallery, in Edinburgh. Gertrude Vernon was born in 1865 and married Sir Andrew Agnew, 9th Baronet of Lochnaw Castle, in 1889. Although often described as a castle Lochnaw, in Wigtownshire, is really an imposing 16th century tower house. In 1892, the up-and-coming John Singer Sargent was commissioned to paint the portrait, by which time Gertrude would have been aged 27. He did a marvellous job, capturing what some critics call ‘languid elegance’. Lady Agnew is supposed to have been recovering from flu and some say this explains her languorous pose. I prefer to think she’s deep in conversation with the painter! Oddly, although records show Gertrude died in London in 1932, I can find no trace of her final resting place. But I am hugely delighted that the painting remains in Scotland. It was displayed in both Boston in 1899 and Pittsburgh in 1924, and American collectors made serious overtures.
CAROLINE ANDERSON, Edinburgh.