I found the resemblance uncanny.
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Countess of Glengall, 1804, detail, by Sir Thomas Lawrence
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Fiona Shawl, actress could be the direct descendant of The Countess of Glengall, 1804 (painted by Thomas Lawrence)
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| Fiona Shaw. Image @Naxos Audio Books |
Jane Austen fans will recognize Fiona as Mrs. Croft, the admiral's sensible lady. Mrs. Croft childless state inspired one of Jane Austen's more caustic remark: "A lady, without a family, was the very best preserver of furniture in the world."
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| Mrs. Croft (Fiona) and Anne Elliot (Amanda Root) in Persuasion 1995 |
The image of the Countess of Glengall is currently being shown in the Thomas Lawrence exhibit, Regency Power and Brilliance, at Yale Center for British Art.
