Optimism, ctd.

October 2 2012

 

I keep getting emails from someone trying to pass off this portrait of an unknown French nobleman as Bonnie Prince Charlie. The latest involves a fantastic bit of video tomfoolery to 'prove' the likeness. Watch as someone takes a bicycle pump to the head, and inflates it furiously. 

I've tried to reason with the portrait's backer, but to no avail. There was a Wikipedia page about the picture with all sorts of ludicrous claims, but as this was repeatedly corrected, it got deleted. Now, the portrait has its own website, which seeks to explain away details (like the lack of any Garter sash) with airy nonsense. It's simply a half-decent portrait of a member of the Order of St Esprit - but these days there's no convincing some people.

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