We went to the small, but very choice exhibition of work by Liotard in the Sunley Room at the National Gallery.

I found its focus on the two versions of a portrait of the Lavergne Family Breakfast, one in pastels dated 1754 and the other a very exact, but much deader, precise copy in oil dated 1772, less interesting than the other work surrounding it: the amazing self portrait in the Royal Collection, said to have been once owned by Horace Walpole, although the online catalogue of the Royal Collection says that it ‘may’ have been acquired by Augusta, Princess of Wales on 15 August 1753:-

The Rijksmuseum looks as if it has acquired one recently – it’s very beautiful;-

The exhibition is very well worth seeing, although small.

A treat for the New Year !