Helen Allingham's Pencip Portrait of Tennyson

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Alfred Lord Tennyson

Helen Allingham (1848-1926)

Dated by Helen Allingham 18 October 1880

4 1/2 x 4 inches

Pencil on paper

This image from the Roy Davids collection of portraits and information about it has been reproduced here thanks to Mr. Davids and to George Plumptre of Bonham's 1873 Ltd. Copyright, of course, remains with them.

According to the Bonham's catalogue (see bibliography), "The circumstances of Tennyson sitting for Helen Allingham are recorded by her husband, the poet William Allingham, in his Diary: '13 October 1880: At Hindhead. Helen, at his (A.T.'s) wish, made a sketch of the lansdcape as seen through one of the arches of the porch. T, looking over her, said: "I suppose I owe you £20 for this?" H. said the payment would be to give her a sitting or two, and he gave in rather grumblingly; hitherto he had refused and said "I'll go out of the room if you look at me!" H. had two or three short sittings in his study, with fading light and made a couple of beginnings. He promised to sit again when we next met. I talked to him while he sat, and tried to keep him from looking unhappy. . .'" (p. 301)

References

Allingham, William. Diary. Ed. Helen Allingham and D. Radford. 2 vols. London: 1907.

Online catalogue. Bonham's Sale 13394 (3 October 2005). Lot 156.

Last modified 22 August 2005