Charlecote Park Franks Forage No 17. George Harcourt   Of the portraits in the Billiard Room at Charlecote, the one that seems to most captivate visitors is that of Ada and her son William (left) just inside the door. Although the painting is signed by the artist and dated, we are often asked who the artist is and when it was painted. It was painted in 1896, as was the one on the right of Constance, Ada’s sister, with Ada’s daughter Alianore. The artist was a Scot by the name of George Harcourt (1868-1947). George Harcourt (left, portrait by Herkomer) was born in Dumbarton and at first studied there. He worked in decorating first-class saloons in ships built by Denny Brothers Shipbuilders. In 1888, aged 20 he went to study at the Herkomer School of Art in Bushey, becoming an assistant teacher there. He lived and worked in Bushey, married and died there. In 1919 he became ARA and in 1926 an RA. He was well-known abroad, winning medals in Paris and Amsterdam. Hubert von Herkomer (1849-1914) was born in Germany and came to England in 1857 with his family where they lived in Southampton. He provided illustrations for magazines before turning to the lucrative area of portraiture at which he became very rich. He opened his Art School in Bushey in 1883 and after his death in 1914 the school closed down. He was knighted in 1907. The portrait of him on the right is by Harcourt.   The question often arises; where were the Charlecote portraits painted? This may depend on where the family were living in 1896. From 1895-7, Sir Henry was Assistant Private Secretary to the Finance Secretary to the Treasury. In that capacity he was probably living near London; he did have contacts in Hertfordshire. William and his twin sister Sybil were born in April 1895 at Charlecote and Montgomerie was also born at Charlecote in October 1896. From the 1901 census the family were living near Hatfield. Also from the 1901 census we find that Constance, her sister Joyce and mother Christina were living in Iver, Bucks. Callart, the Cameron family home underwent extensive alterations in the late 1890s. George Harcourt was living and working in Bushey which is not far from Hatfield or Iver. Whether the paintings were done at Bushey (or somewhere near) or Charlecote would require more foraging. However, let not speculation detract from the beauty of the paintings; the one of Ada and William telling more of a mother/son relationship than many a ‘Madonna and Child’ of the Great Masters. That William died aged 15 gives poignancy to viewing the portrait. Frank Storr   Frank would welcome comments and any additional information you may have on ‘Frank’s Forages’. Contact him by email on n.splurge@btinternet.com You can also leave comments in the Tuesday Day Leader’s pigeon hole.