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James Eckford Lauder, RSA (Scottish, 1811-1869)
'The Jewel-Casket, scene from The Duenna'
circa 1850
Exhibited at The Royal Scottish Academy, 1850 no.114.
Details:
Oil on Panel
Measuring 19 inches by 13.5 inches / 25 inches by 19.5 inches framed
signed and titled on reverse "No.1 / The Jewel-Casket / Jas.Eckford Lauder"
In a carved giltwood Aitken & Dott exhibition frame
The Scottish Academician James Eckford Lauder depicts Donna Louisa - the main character of the English comic-opera La Duenna - opening her Jewel-Casket to reveal a ruby-encrusted necklace. Lauder executed this work with a jewel-like glow and precision which was noted at its exhibition at The Royal Scottish Academy of 1850. A companion work to this painting held in The Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, The National Trust UK, entitled "The Duenna" also depicts Donna Louisa - the main character of the famous English comic-opera La Duenna - in the same costume as the present work, and shows an identical Jewel-Casket and ruby necklace as in the present work (see image provided, courtesy of ArtUK The Walker Art Gallery).
James Eckford Lauder RSA (Scottish, 1811-1869) 'The Jewel-Casket', c1850
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Exhibition History:
Exhibited at The Royal Scottish Academy 1850, titled "The Jewel-Casket" no.114.
La Duenna was widely acclaimed as the most successful opera ever staged in England. It was composed by Thomas Linley the elder, and was first performed in the Covent Garden Theatre in 1775. Lord Byron called it "the best opera ever written".