Person    | Female  Born 1734  Died 1808

Lady Diana Beauclerk

Categories: Art, Other

Lady Diana Spencer was born in 1735, the eldest child of the third Duke of Marlborough. She was expected to follow a traditional path through life: educated in the fashion considered suitable for a girl, and married to a man of the appropriate rank for a duke's daughter. However, Lady Di overturned convention. She left her husband, pursued a secret relationship with Topham Beauclerk, hid the birth of an illegitimate child, was divorced, remarried and eventually had to earn her living by painting.

This text came from the same web site as the picture.

Her designs were used by Wedgwood.

The Museum of London holds a 1797 large sculptural frieze, known as the Pelican figures, that used to be high up on the facade of an insurance building in Lombard Street. This was designed by Lady Diana.

There is a book about this lady : Improper Pursuits: The Scandalous Life of Lady Di Beauclerk, Author: Carola Hicks.

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Lady Diana Beauclerk

Commemorated ati

The Adelphi

The Adelphi This building stands on the site of Adelphi Terrace built by the...

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Topham & Lady Diana Beauclerk

Here lived Topham Beauclerk. Born 1739. Died 1780. Lady Diana Beauclerk. ...

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Other Subjects

Glasgow School of Art

Glasgow School of Art

Founded in 1845 as the Glasgow Government School of Design. It changed to its current name in 1853. The main building, shown in the picture, in Renfrew Street was designed by Charles Rennie Mackint...

Group, Architecture, Art, Education, Scotland

1 memorial
Virginia Nimarkoh

Virginia Nimarkoh

Artist based in London.

Person, Art

5 memorials
Sir Jacob Epstein

Sir Jacob Epstein

Sculptor and painter, renowned for producing controversial works of art that challenged the taboos of his time. Born New York City and arrived in London, via Paris, in 1905. 1909 - 1914 had a studi...

Person, Art, Sculpture, USA

9 memorials
William Gilpin

William Gilpin

Artist, author, cleric and schoolmaster. He was a sketcher and collector of prints, and worked as a curate, before becoming a master, and then headmaster at Cheam School.  In 1768 he published 'Ess...

Person, Art, Education, Literature, Religion

1 memorial
John Constable

John Constable

Painter. Born in East Bergholt, on the Essex/Suffolk border. From 1819 Constable spent much of his time in Hampstead and many of his finest paintings are of Hampstead landscapes. He died in Fitzrov...

Person, Art, Seriously Famous

5 memorials