Wednesday 30 October 2013

"Jane Austen banknote portrait 'surgically enhanced', says biographer"

From the BBC:

A Jane Austen biographer has criticised the Bank of England for selecting a "sexed up" portrait of the author for its new £10 note.

Oxford University fellow Dr Paula Byrne said the 1870 image showed the author with Double-D breasts in a low cut dress, both absent in an earlier portrait composed by the novelist's sister Cassandra showing her as rather flat chested and dowdy.

But the Sun's current editor David Dinsmore, who was consulted by the Bank of England, felt it was a good choice. The Hampshire-born writer was chosen to replace Katie Price on the £10 note.

7 comments:

Graeme said...

it must be a slow news day...

and we are at "peak wine" as well!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/leisure/10414086/Global-wine-shortage-on-the-horizon-economists-warn.html

Mark Wadsworth said...

G, something else for the chattering classes to wine about, I guess.

Bayard said...

It looks to me like Cassandra was just a crap artist.

Mark Wadsworth said...

B, either Cassie was a crap artist or Jane Austen was not very good looking.

Ian Hills said...

LOL. Page three Jane is a vast improvement on the sour-faced, hatchet-faced heroine of the feminist brigade.

I hope to see a naked version on higher-denomination notes, clutching a rose somewhere....

Mark Wadsworth said...

IH, good idea, we can have sexy women on one side and buff fellas on the other side, just to cater for all tastes and both. That'll get the economy moving.

Graeme said...

do you know some good houses to invest in, guv...wink wink..?