has certainly advanced the whole question considerably. Whether the last
word has yet been said is doubtful. There is still an intermediate class of "supposed" portraits between the " authentic" and the "false,"—we use Mr. Cust's phraseology. The "authentic" number twenty-seven (including the trial and execution scenes) (not valuable, of course, from the "portrait" point of view) ; the "supposed " three ; and the " false" three. It must be owned that the second and third classes give more attractive representation than most of the genuine pictures. The likenesses of Mary as Dauphiness and Queen are almost plain. The prettiest woman in the whole set is XXVIII (from the Hard- wicke House Collection). But then we are told that this has been so much repainted that we can form no conclusions from it. It may be said that we have got so far as this: that the general features of Mary, the colour of her hair and of her eyes, and the contour of the face, are known. But where lay the fascination of her face—and there have been few faces that had an equal fascination—still remains an unexplained mystery. But that Mr. Cust has done all that is possible we do not doubt. • This is a very beautiful and interesting book.
Previous page
