Colonel Blair with his Family and an Indian Ayah (1786) by Zoffany. This  painting is on the Post partly because of the natural and friendly way the (alas nameless) ayah – nursemaid – is part of the family group; it goes some way to obliterating the frightful scene in The Jewel in The Crown (we have recently been obsessed with the dvd) when an Englishwoman refuses to sit in the same train compartment as an ayah. More details about the picture here.

There is an exhibition at Tate Britain called Artist and Empire  (which is only on for another month): ‘In 21st century Britain, “Empire” is a highly provocative term. Its histories of war, conquest and slavery can be difficult to address but its legacy is everywhere. Artist and Empire examines the people who helped to create, promote or confront the British Empire in their work.’ Remnants Of An Army by Elizabeth Thompson, Lady Butler, was painted in 1879. It allegedly shows Dr William Brydon, assistant surgeon in the Bengal Army, arriving alone at the gates of the British garrison at Jellalabad, after the retreat from Kabul. He was ‘the sole survivor’ (although of course this is not the whole truth, as many historians have pointed out).

An unforgettable poster, discovered on the Persephone trip to Beverley (home of our favourite Fred and Mary Elwell) and Hull.

This is Bognor Regis at about the time R C Sherriff was writing The Fortnight in September: the early 1930s.

Another Irish painting: About to Write a Letter (1935) by Jack Butler Yeats. This has a peculiar and distinctive atmosphere, rather like our Irish novel Making Conversation, which is something of a Marmite book: people either love it or loathe it (naturally, we love it). The painting is at the National Gallery of Ireland which says on its website: ‘The subject is drawn from The Fancy, a small book of poems by Peter Corcoran originally published in 1820, but re-edited by John Masefield and illustrated by Jack B. Yeats in 1906. The poems in the book focus on a group of dissolute young men, whose lives revolve around boxing and other tough sports, and can be read as the poet’s farewell to the wild days of his youth. Peter Corcoran was the nom-de-plume of John Hamilton Reynolds, a close friend of Keats.’

A Quiet Read is by Roderic O’Connor (1860-1940), it’s at the National Gallery of Ireland.

More randomness this week: first of all, a scarf designed by Georgina von Etzdorf, chosen by Margaret Howell here: ‘Georgina founded her business in  1981 in the garage and stable of her parents’ home, by 1985, in addition to its signature silk and velvet scarves, the company diversified into a wide range of men’s and women’s wear, as well as household items such as kelims and cushions. It also gained a reputation for experimental and complex printing techniques on “difficult” fabrics such as chiffon, organza, chenille and wool boucle.’. There was a collection of scarves for sale on her website a year ago here and scroll down to see some of her paintings.