The charcoal sketch developed remarkably quickly into a painting. It now needs to dry, which can happen when we’re on holiday and in the meantime I thought I’d just put it up as a post, below.

There are always problems with starting out from someone else’s work. It’s not just that one can’t copy it (nor would I wish to) or come anywhere near the standard of the competent original. Even worse is the fact that I’m not sure, as I think Talleyrand’s advisers were said to have remarked on contemplating the body of the great man “I wonder what he meant by that?”

Anyway here it is, the usual limited palette of oils on a small canvas.

Chris