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

Hablot Knight Browne, 'Phiz'

Hablot Knight Browne, 'Phiz'

Artist.  Born Lower Kennington Lane, exact date in doubt. Illustrated 10 of Dickens' books. Took the pseudonym Phiz to pair with Dicken's early pen-name, Boz.  Also worked for other novelists and f...

Person, Art

1 memorial
David Hockney

David Hockney

Artist.  Born Bradford.  Lived in California for many years.  Passionately anti-anti-smoking, like fellow artist Maggie Hambling.

Person, Art, Seriously Famous, USA

2 memorials
Stella Newton

Stella Newton

Fashion designer and dress historian, who brought the history of fashion to bear on art history and the dating of paintings. She designed for the theatre and for fashion, having her own shop in the...

Person, Art, Craft / Design, History

1 memorial
Robert Gordon McHarg III

Robert Gordon McHarg III

Opened the Subway Gallery in 2006.

Person, Art, Museums / Libraries, Canada

1 memorial
Antonio Canaletto

Antonio Canaletto

Venetian painter.  When the supply of Grand Tourists coming to Venice and buying his paintings dried up due to war, Canaletto decided to come to England.  He arrived in 1746 and stayed until 1755, ...

Person, Art, Seriously Famous, Italy

4 memorials