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1.
Ancient Greek Gems and Seal-stones
Ancient Greek Gallery, Gallery 33, first floor
In this gallery, in a long case on the wall, you will find a selection
from the Ashmolean’s collection of gems and sealstones from the
Greek and Hellenistic world. Many are made from chalcedony. As well
as being used to seal letters, these might also have sealed doors.
They also served the purpose of a written signature in an age when
not many people could write. Often worn suspended around the neck
or wrist, they were an attractive ornament and certain of the stone
employed were believed to have healing or protective powers.
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2.
Portrait of Penelope Boothby by
Sir Joshua Reynolds
Hill Music Room, Gallery 42, first floor
Penelope Boothby (1785-1791) died at the age of 6, three years after
Reynolds painted this portrait. Reynolds’s sensitivity to the
personality of his subjects can clearly be seen here.
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3.
Portrait of James Paine (1717-1789) and his son James (1745-1829)
by Sir Joshua Reynolds
18th century Art Gallery, Gallery 55, second floor
As one of Britian’s most respected portrait painters of the
18th century, Reynolds enjoyed considerable success and received
many prestigious commissions. This double portrait of the architect
James Paine and his son incorporates classical columns as a means
of heightening the grandeur and nobility of the sitters, as well
as alluding to their profession.
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