The 'Hood' Portraits
C18th-C19th Century
In 1974, the following four watercolour and pencil sketches came into my possession. Something about their origins is known but mysteries remain.
One, or more, of these pictures is known to have been painted by The Hon. Mabel Edith Hood who was the daughter of Francis Wheler Hood (4th Viscount Hood) and who married Francis Denzil Edward Baring (5th Baron Ashburton, b. 20 July 1866).
However, another one or more were painted by Mabel's mother who was Edith, Viscountess Hood (née Edith Lydia Drummond Ward, m. 18 July 1865, d. 9 March 1911).
If anyone can help to identify the subjects and their artists I would greatly appreciate further reliable information.
By Christopher Long
This water-colour is believed to be a copy of a portrait, by Cosway, of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806).
On the back of the picture is a typewritten label stating that the it is "A copy of a painting by Mabel, Lady Ashburton". This label has a signature in ink: 'Dorothy Hood'.
What appears to be the same signature occurs on a second (torn) label.
A third label in pencil states: 'Duchess of Devonshire by Cosway'.
Mabel, Lady Ashburton, was the daughter of Edith, Viscountess Hood (née Edith Lydia Drummond Ward). Mabel's grandfather was Arthur Ward who married Catherine, daughter of Mr & Mrs John Houlton of Farley Castle, Somerset.
According to Lord Hood (in 1987) this too is "probably a portrait of the Duchess of Devonshire" [Georgiana 1757-1806]. It is a delicately worked pen & wash (rather better than the copy of the Cosway portrait, above) and again may be a copy of a larger formal portrait.
The monogram in the bottom right-hand corner is EH and is probably that of Edith Hood who married Francis Baring (5th Baron Ashburton).
On the back is a label which, in very faint pencil, reads 'Edith Viscountess Hood'
A second, larger and clearer label reads: 'For Lambert with love from Kitty'.
According to Lord Hood (in 1987) Lambert was the brother of Edith Hood and never married. He was apparently 'dominated' by two married women – one of whom divorced to enable herself to marry him. He bought himself out of his regiment (the Lifeguards ?) and was cut off by his father as a result.
Photographs of Edith Hood and other works by her are believed to exist in the Hood family's collection.
Is this pencil, crayon and wash another portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (1757-1806? Is does not resemble other known portraits of her and the style appears more recent than the two above.
The picture is signed 'EH' in pencil in the bottom right-hand corner. However this is not the same monogram as that found in the first picture (above) although the form of the letters is similar. Was it signed by Edith informally or by someone later on her behalf?
In 1987 Lord Hood was uncertain whether this is another portrait of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and thought the Chatsworth collection might shed light on its origin. It is possible that the subject here is the same as that below.
This much smaller watercolour of 'My Grandmother' is not signed, though it comes from the same collection as the other three above.
It appears to have the quality of Edith Hood's work and uses an identical blue to that used in the sashes and bows in the two other pictures attributed to her (above).
Who is the sitter and which of her two grandmothers does it represent? If this is indeed by Edith Ward then the sitter may be Mrs John Houlton of Farley Castle or a Mrs Ward.
If anyone can help to identify the subjects and their artists I would greatly appreciate further reliable information.
© (2002) Christopher Long. Copyright, Syndication & All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
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