Ann Blundell

This poignant portrait of Ann Blundell was painted after her death as a keepsake for her aunt who has added a lengthy inscription to the backing paper.

Born in November 1812, Ann was the first child of Major Blundell (1780-1864) and his wife Ruth Wilson (1782-1844). Little Ann sadly died when she was just five years and five months old in March 1818. It was another six years before the couple had a second child.

Painted on ivory, the portrait shows Ann in a pretty grey dress and coral necklace holding a book and standing in a garden landscape. The inscription reads – –

This little Picture is the kind performance of my Cousin Whitwell and intended as the likeness of my beloved and much lamented niece, Ann Blundell, who died March 25th 1818 aged five years & five months.

Dear little darling! art thou gone —
Thy charms scarce to thy Mother known.
Remov’d so soon! – so suddenly
Snatch’d from my fond maternal eye!
What hadst thou done?  sweet Infant say
So early to be snatch’d away!
What! gone for ever! – seen no more!
For EVER I thy loss deplore. –

But, Thou hast taken only what’s thine own
Therefore thy will, O Lord, not mine be done!

The portrait is set with a gilt slip in the original giltwood frame that has some losses to the gilding mostly confined to the edges.