Maria Foote as Juliet (Hanging Velvet Panel)

This piece was created for the 'Mirror Mirror' exhibition held at the magical site of the Gothic Hall at Elvaston Castle, Derbyshire; the home of the late Maria Foote.

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She was married to the Fourth Earl of Harrington whose family home was Elvaston Castle. She was an actress who lived in Covent Garden and he decided to 'woo' her by redecorating the castle in her honour (including the Gothic Hall) and landscaping the gardens; and it worked.

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Maria did play Juliet in her debut at Covent Garden in 1810 so it was a fabulous opportunity to create an art nouveau style theatre poster, in a similar vain to those made by Alphonse Mucha for Sarah Bernhardt's plays.

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This piece was digitally coloured and then printed on velvet and made into a large wall hanging which graced the wall of the Gothic Hall for a week during the exhibition. It was a fantastic show at a very beautiful setting.