The Marquess Method by Kathleen Ayers
Author Notes
The idea of Theo painting a naked self-portrait for Blythe came after seeing a picture of Beauty Revealed by the American miniaturist Sarah Goodridge (1788-1853). Ms. Goodridge was well-known in the early 19th century for her portraits of politicians, particularly Daniel Webster. Goodridge and Webster were longtime friends and possibly more though the nature of their relationship has never been clearly defined. What is known is that Goodridge gifted Beauty Revealed, a miniature of her naked breasts, to Webster. There is a fascinating article about Webster and Goodridge if you care to read more. https://
I went down the rabbit-hole in looking at the history of eyeglasses and optometry (a term that wasn’t used until the end of the 19th century). Jane Austen wore spectacles (she had a tortoise-shell pair) prescribed by a London oculist. But by the early 1840’s (when The Marquess Method takes place) spectacles with varying types of magnification were being mass-produced and sold. Check out this link if you want to read more about Jane and her spectacles. https://
Winsor and Newton (where Theo gets her artist supplies) opened their doors in 1838 in London. I learned so much about how paint was stored, artist boxes (Theo’s is based on one I found listed at an antique dealer) watercolor, walnut oil…I could go on and on. Winsor and Newton really did invent glass syringes for paint storage in 1840 (up until then paint was stored in bladders). They have a wonderful website (and are still in business) which I encourage you to look at if you’re interested.
The demand for miniatures was dying out by the mid-19th century when a new art form came into existence – photography. The invention of the daguerreotype (1839) meant people didn’t need to carry a portrait in their pocket, they could have an actual picture of their loved one. I like the thought of Theo moving from miniatures to photography, despite her eyesight.
