The Darcy of all Darcys?

If you know the history of Jane Austen, you will know that at around the time she was 21, she fell in love with a man named Thomas Lefroy. However, due to their circumstances (both of their families were considered poor), although they were in love (or at least starting to be in love), they were separated by their families, and never saw each other again, as they both needed to find more suitable families to help with their financial situations. Tom Lefroy went on to marry an heiress that his family approved of, and became a chief legal justice in Ireland. He had a daughter who he named Jane, but it is not known if she was named after Austen. Austen received one proposal from another man, accepted, then the next day, rescinded and never married.

Historians and scholars differ on their analysis of whether or not this short flirtation that took place became the inspiration for the character of Darcy in her novel "Pride & Prejudice." Some say that it fueled the great romance between Lizzy and Darcy, noting that despite the gap of wealth, Darcy accepted Lizzy nonetheless and married her. However, Tom Lefroy in real life was not considered proud, silent, or passionate (traits of Darcy). He was considered a pleasant, talkative fellow, and a penniless law student at that, so this is where the discrepancies start sneaking in.

Despite that, fans of Jane Austen will surely want a piece of him, as a miniature portrait of Lefroy will be available for sale at the Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair in London between June 12th-18th, sold by Judy and Brian Harden. It is considered only the 2nd known painting of him as a young man out there; the other version is in the possession of his descendants. The asking price, you ask? A cool £50,000!!!

The watercolour is painted on ivory and measures just 3 inches by 1 ¼ inches. It is by George Engleheart, the great English miniaturist, and the only one which is dated and signed with the artist's distinctive cursive E.

While they are totally trying to profit from the Austen-craze, if you can't own a piece of the man, you can see a portrayal of him on film. James McAvoy played Tom in the film "Becoming Jane," which also starred Anne Hathaway as the author. (I haven't seen this film yet so don't know if it's any good.) The film is loosely based on their short romantic affair, so it's probably full of inaccuracies, but it could give you more insight on the man that might have been Darcy.


Source & Source

Anglophile, bibliophile, Janeite...

You can call me all of those things, as my recent purchases completely support these statements! It is no secret on this blog that I have a slight obsession with "Pride & Prejudice" (ok, maybe more than slight), as I've watched the 1995 BBC TV series more times than I can count while in high school, and after the 2005 film came out on DVD, I've watched that at least 10 times. The TV series is truer to the book, but I loved the chemistry in the film more, so I love them both equally.

Lately, I've been obsessed with trying to find a copy of the book that is lifted directly from the original 1813 text, as the current versions that are published now have been revised since sometime around the late 1800s/early 1900s. (The original also happened to have been published in three volumes, but now they are all combined into one book.) Even if it's difficult to read, I want to try, but it seems that no one has bothered to create this version, aside from a collector's miniature set, where the books measure 3"x 2". That's too small to really read from! And frankly, I don't have £7,495 to buy the original; really, a copy would suffice!

Anyhow, on a whim, I purchased an 1895 illustrated copy of the book, and I love it. This is not the first time that I've purchased antiquarian books, as I did that when I was a child at local flea markets (what I did with them, or where they are now, I have no idea), but this is the first time I really pursued a book that I loved. Although this copy isn't in any mint condition, I still love it for all the whimsical illustrations. I can't wait to re-read this book!


In addition, while I was perusing the Regency period on eBay UK, I came across this fashion plate, which is equivalent to their version of fashion magazines back in the day. I love the look of this woman, where she looks back at you with such clarity, and she looks so proper in her day dress, which is similar to what I imagined Elizabeth Bennet might have worn, minus the bonnet and purse (I see her touting a book with her hair in a loose bun, curls unfurling in the wind as she wanders through Derbyshire). I purchased this as well, and plan to frame it and hang as wall art.


Although this was not the most glamorous or romantic period in history, I must say that from both film, TV, and books, it's become romanticized, and I like the simplicity of the times, that it wasn't very gaudy, vulgar, or over-the-top in regards to the way that ppl acted or dressed. Women sewed, read, played music, danced...it was all very un-posh, which is why the human mind and connectivity were so important. It is more and more difficult to capture that feeling in this day and age.