Maria (née Gunning), Countess of Coventry
© National Portrait Gallery, London
Maria (née Gunning), Countess of Coventry
by J. Cook, published by Richard Bentley, after Francis Cotes
line and stipple engraving, published 1891
7 1/4 in. x 4 5/8 in. (185 mm x 119 mm) paper size
Bequeathed by (Frederick) Leverton Harris, 1927
Reference Collection
NPG D14152
Sitterback to top
- Maria (née Gunning), Countess of Coventry (1733-1760), Famous beauty, society hostess and first wife of 6th Earl of Coventry. Sitter in 15 portraits.
Artistsback to top
- Richard Bentley (1794-1871), Printer and publisher. Artist or producer associated with 65 portraits, Sitter in 1 portrait.
- J. Cook (active 1845-1891), Engraver. Artist or producer associated with 5 portraits.
- Francis Cotes (1726-1770), Portrait painter. Artist or producer associated with 89 portraits, Sitter in 1 portrait.
Events of 1891back to top
Current affairs
The Irish Nationalist leader Charles Parnell is forced to resign after being named in the divorce proceedings brought by William O'Shea against his wife Kitty, who had been Parnell's mistress for a decade. The scandal severely damages the campaign for the Home Rule Bill, contributing greatly to its subsequent failure. Parnell's health also suffered; he contracted rheumatic fever and died a few months after resigning.Art and science
Thomas Hardy's publishes Tess of the D'Urbervilles, a tragedy which explores the consequences of the young Tess's seduction by the wealthy Alec D'Urberville. In the novel, Hardy sets forward his major concerns about the individual's powerlessness before fate, whilst radically critiquing the hypocritical double standards of contemporary morals.International
The construction of Trans-Siberian railway, the longest single rail system in Russia, begins in the Urals and at Vladivostock. Running between Moscow and Vladivostock, work was completed in 1917.The German aviation pioneer Otto Lilenthal takes off in the first glider from a hill near Potsdam, the first of many guided flights and an important step in the development of aerial technology.
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