Painting the Youngest

[bunny]

HIS REPUTATION PRECEDES HIM. After the portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Hastings, the Dowager Viscountess Bridgerton reached out to him for a commission for a portrait of her youngest daughter Hyacinth. Henry accepted it in spite of his bitterness of his last portrait being ruined in the rain. . . It has been rectified now, but there is still some hurt regarding that painting; Henry had been incredibly proud of it. Alas, it is a new day and a new painting.

They set up in a room of the Bridgerton manor, with his assistants putting up a background suitable for the little lady. Henry stands at his easel, looking at the scene that has been set up: Hyacinth sits on a chaise lounge behind the outdoor wallpaper. He knows it will probably be difficult for a girl of -- eleven? -- to sit still for some time, so he will work with what he has. Henry holds out his brush, measuring something in his mind, before he grabs the charcoal to start sketching the outline of the portrait.

"Tell me, Miss Bridgerton, are you excited to have your own portrait?" He asks from behind the easel. Henry has always been decent with children; when he does have the opportunity to see his nieces and nephews, they do adore him. "Do you have a favorite color? I can make your dress that color if you wish." He knows the portrait is more for the Dowager Viscountess, but it never hurts to let the subject enjoy the process. 

Tag: lennie1

[lennie1]

When her mother had told her she would be getting her portrait painted ahead of her birthday Hyacinth had liked the idea. Her siblings had portraits, of course she had portraits with her siblings, but this year Violet had told her it'd be just her. And Hyacinth had loved the idea before Francesca informed her of what it would mean when her ever practical sister told her she would need to sit still for the process of it. All it had taken was one family breakfast, a few hushed words whispered between sisters to make Hyacinth look to her mother with wide eyes of shock at the situation.

Now Hyacinth sat on the chaise lounge seat, she had already shifted and squirmed in her pale blue dress more times than she could count; both her mother and maid fixed her with stern looks as she opened her mouth to complain but Hyacinth swore she saw them hiding smiles. Despite it she sighed, meeting her mother's gaze and with the little bit of a defiance a kid could have as they did exactly what their mother wanted Hyacinth sat properly and with a few quiet words to the maid Violet smiled at her daughter and departed from the room. The look Hyacinth received as she left was clear behave, and Hyacinth pressed her lips together tightly.

Hyacinth turned her attention to Mr Granville, "I am excited," she admitted and she pursed her lips, "it's lilac, but I believe mama would like my dress to remain like it is," Hyacinth remembered the words Francesca had said, "Mr Granville, Francesca told me I would need to be still for hours so I feel required to tell you that is hightly unlikely," the brunette spoke with the cadence of a girl past her age.

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[bunny]

"GOOD!" Henry affirms, trying to match her enthusiasm. He knows kids appreciation a similar energy. He considers, and he writes down a note to include lilacs in the piece as a little nod to what she likes -- especially if the Dowager Viscountess prefers her current outfit. Her squirming does not bother him; Henry knows it is incredibly hard to sit still at that age. 

"Your sister would be correct, Miss Bridgerton," he responds, sketching out the piece. He has a second paper on his easel that he uses to sketch out the details of her face, even as she moves. Henry chuckles. "You are allowed to take breaks. Just sit as still as you can. I make ask you to remain still occasionally to make sure I get a detail right." 

He is quiet for a moment, paying attention to her hair, the way it falls over her frame. Henry nods to himself thoughtfully as he looks between the sketch and the subject. He puts his reference of her face down on his paint table and resumes sketching in the background. "What do you enjoy to do, Miss Bridgerton? Do you like reading?" 

Tag: lennie1

[lennie1]

Had Violet still been in the room she would have nailed Hyacinth to the wall with the piercing look of disapproval she had not yet managed to perfect at the groan the young girl released when Francesca's claims were confirmed. "She's always right," Hyacinth huffed, she slumped in her seat for a moment, taking a small but dignified moment to pout, glaring at a portrait hanging on the wall of her siblings, if they could sit for portraits then so could she.

Straightening up in her seat once more Hyacinth placed a small smile on her lips, delicately folding her hands onto her lap. No one ever sat like this in real life, she had seen even Daphne slouching at least once, and yet her eldest sister never looked anything but perfectly poised in portraits, and she was no longer sure Benedict even knew how to sit up straight in a chair. "Sir Granville, do you ever paint in less formal, less posed settings?"

Hyacinth perked up at his question, the smile on her lips widening and showing far more childlike glee than before, "I do," she nodded, "and, did you know my governess is fluent in Italian? She has been teaching me, of course I am far from fluent however it has been very rewarding."

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[bunny]

There is something endearing about children. Henry's so far removed from his childhood now that he barely remembers being so bold and precocious. It's adorable. "Older siblings usually are," he comments, and then a rather wistful look fills his eyes. He thinks of his own siblings; he hasn't spoken to Hugh and Helen beyond pleasantries at events in years. Henry has been alone on that front, but he thrives in it. He fills those roles with all of his friends. Family is not as important to him as it is to the Bridgertons -- and he has his legacy in art. He does not need an army of children carrying on his family name. 

He watches as she adjusts and uses his brush to measure out some things. He continues to work on the canvas, starting to add in his base colors after the sketching stage. "Oh, I do." Henry answers. "Though posing help us really understand how the body sits. It allows for a more... authentic look." Henry does not usually exaggerate features in his portraits of real people. That is more for the interpretations, the allegories, the streams of consciousness. "I paint all sorts of things for myself. I do display those works in different galleries, but I am usually hired for my portraiture." 

Oh, that smile. . . he grabs a piece of parchment to quickly sketch out the most important lines of it. He imagines Violet will prefer a more demure expression, but Hyacinth smiles just as brightly as her brother. Perhaps it is a Bridgerton trait -- that the carry sunshine wherever they go. (Except, perhaps, for Lord Bridgerton; the young man is always so moody.) "What kind of books do you enjoy? And is that so? I love Italy. I have been more times than I can count. Venice is my favorite. Talk to me in Italian. We can practice, if you'd like." 

Tag: lennie1