Mystery surrounds museum painting

3:20pm Friday 1st February 2008

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A MYSTERY woman showing off her wedding ring painted by an unknown author is puzzling museum staff.

The young Victorian woman, depicted in a fine work of art, was donated to Trowbridge Museum in 1986.

Little is known about the unfinished oval portrait, which hangs in the museum's gallery in The Shires Shopping Centre in Trowbridge.

Museum curator Clare Lyall arrived long after the picture came to be in the possession of the museum and is desperate to find out more information about it.

She is appealing to the people of Trowbridge to supply any snippet of knowledge they may have about the portrait.

She said: "We are really keen to find out about her. We call her the mystery lady. The painting is unfinished so there are no colours in her clothes to give us clues. We think she dates back to the 1850s and we can tell that from her hairstyle.

"She is quite young - in her early 20s - and she is showing off her wedding ring so she may be a newly-wed.

"We're not even sure who donated the artwork to the museum as there is no record of it arriving.

"It is a very beautiful piece. The oval frame is in gold leaf and wonderfully decorated with ornate moulding.

"If anyone has any idea where it came from, who she is or the name of the artist, then please get in touch with us."

If you have any information call Trowbridge Museum on (01225) 751339.