An artist who has brought to life images of historical figures by adding colour has carried out a private commission for Earl Spencer. Marina Amaral will be interviewed at the Althorp Literary Festival in October.
The festival publicists released the following statement:
Marina Amaral, Brazilian colourist of the bestselling book ‘The Colour of Time’, has brought a personal touch to her appearance at the Althorp Literary Festival. In a private commission for Charles Spencer, the current Earl, she has colourised a never-seen-before photographic portrait of his late father, the 8th Earl Spencer.
The 8th Earl is seen in his uniform of the Scots Greys in 1945 and is wearing the cyphers of George VI on his shoulders as his equerry. The original black and white portrait sits on the desk of Lord Spencer’s study at Althorp.
Speaking of the portrait, Lord Spencer said, “I am delighted by what Marina Amaral has achieved, turning my favourite black and white photograph of my father into a really beautiful colour image. It’s a great pleasure to welcome Marina to this year’s Literary Festival, and I know she and Dan Jones – one of the brightest and best historians in the country – will be fantastic when interviewed together at Althorp.”
Marina Amaral and Dan Jones will be presenting their new book The Colour of Time at the Althorp Literary Festival. The Colour of Time, which recently appeared in The Times’ Top 10 Non-Fiction, features vividly colourised images that bring to life more than a hundred years of world history from the reign of Queen Victoria and the US Civil War to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the beginning of the Space Age.
The Festival, taking place from 5th to 7th October, is set to host over 30 highly acclaimed authors, writers, entrepreneurs and thought-leaders. With the return of The Great British Bake Off, Althorp is proud to be hosting Prue Leith as she reminisces about her all-time favourite recipes. Speakers also include one of Britain’s foremost military historians, Dan Snow; esteemed writer of TV hit Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes; and one of the world’s best-loved authors, Alexander McCall Smith.
We are pleased to announce that joining radio director Marilyn Imrie will be the stars of BBC Radio 4’s Rumpole: veteran actor Julian Rhind-Tutt of Bridget Jones’s Baby, recently seen in the hit TV drama Britannia, along with film star Jasmine Hyde, known for award-winning films including The Truth Commissioner and The Unseen. They will be reading extracts from John Mortimer’s stories about one of literature’s most brilliant legal minds.
Festival-goers can also enjoy a range of distinguished pop-up retail outlets, along
with a number of eateries offering delicious street food, sweet treats, curated gins,
fine wines and award-winning coffee.
A collection of paintings by award winning artist Christian Hook is being revealed at the Festival for the first time, along with poetry readings, live music, and performances.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Althorp Literary Festival. Tickets are available to buy online at althorpliteraryfestival.com. Ticket prices: Tickets range from £12.50 to £20.
I admire Marina Amaral so much. Her Auschwitz project is such an important thing to do. I remember visiting the museum, over 10 years ago now, and being so distressed by how all the hair had become a similar colour and the cases of shoes and glasses made everyone indistinguishable. You can’t replace what is lost, but recognising it on the individual level matters so much.