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All About History Books
The Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke. Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson. Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback.
1863. Retouched 1873. Dante Gabriel Rossetti (age 34). "Die Geliebte" aka "The Beloved" aka "The Bride". Models: Alice aka Alexa Wilding (age 16), Ellen Smith, Marie Ford Model, Fanny Entwhistle aka Eaton (age 27) and Keomi aka Keytumas Gray (age 21).
Two Biblical texts are inscribed on the frame below the painting.
My beloved is mine and I am his. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: For thy love is better than wine. [The Song of Songs by King Solomon]
She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needlework: the virgins that be her fellows shall bear her company, and shall be brought unto thee.
Before 5th February 1865. Edward Poynter 1st Baronet (age 28). "The Peacock Fan". Model Ellen Smith. See entry in George Price Boyce's diary.
The Diary of George Price Boyce 1865. 5th February 1865. Called on Poynter (age 28) to see his competition drawings for the Old Water Colour Society. One of them, that with Ellen Smith with fan in her hand [See Painting], very good. Called on Jopling.
The Diary of George Price Boyce 1865. 5th May 1865. Rossetti (age 36) sent for the study he gave me, a pencil head of Ellen Smith, said it was by inadvertence he had parted with it, as he particularly wished to dispose of it with other studies of the same picture (Bride in Song of Solomon) to the purchasers of the picture. He promised me good measure" in exchange. Dined at Mills' Coffee House. The beautiful Rafiaelesque girl has left—the waiter thinks for Australia. Alas!
The Diary of George Price Boyce 1865. 22nd May 1865. Rossetti (age 37) sent down by Pope 13 pencil studies of heads, of which 2 (one of Ellen Smith and another ¾ of a new model) are gifts.
The other 11, viz, 3 of Fanny Cornforth (age 30), 2 of Ellen Smith, 1 of Ada, 1 of Mrs. Morris of Upton, £10, 1 of the negro boy, 1 of a negro girl, 1 of Mrs. Eaton, and 1 of Marie Ford I pay £60 for.
The Diary of George Price Boyce 1865. 6th August 1865. Called on Gabriel Rossetti. He and Fanny only there. He was at work upon a drawing of a girl washing her hands, and of her lover; the former painted from Ellen Smith, the latter from Howell.
The Diary of George Price Boyce 1865. 16th November 1865. Ellen Smith came to sit. Worked on old water colour head I made of her some time ago.
1867. Dante Gabriel Rossetti (age 38). "Jolie Coeur". Model Ellen Smith.