Mistress of the Arts: The Passionate Life of Georgina, Duchess of Bedford
By (Author) Rachel Trethewey
Headline Publishing Group
Headline Review
6th August 2002
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
European history
941.07092
352
Width 241mm, Height 161mm, Spine 32mm
680g
Two hundred years ago there lived a magnetic and manipulative aristocrat whose complex relationships and strong passions strike a chord with any modern woman. Georgina, Duchess of Bedford (1781-1853), had a long and happy marriage with one of the richest men in England. Yet she also kept a handsome lover over twenty years her junior - the famous artist Edwin Landseer - who adored her till the day he died.
Georgina's controversial life caused scandal even in that decadent era. She was at the centre of Regency society and mixed with the leading politicians, artists and nobles of the time - from her step-son, the Prime Minister Lord John Russell to her great rival, 'Little G', the Duchess of Devonshire's daughter. MISTRESS OF THE ARTS explores the life of this intriguing woman and the colourful world she inhabited. This is popular history at its absolute best - full of original sources, fascinating period detail and larger-than-life characters.an elegant and deft first biography - Sunday Times
Rachel Trethewey studied history at Oxford University, where she won the Philip Geddes Prize for journalism. She has written for the national papers and was a correspondent for Westcountry Television.