Sherry is in
the cinema again, in two films. In the recent and excellent Mike Leigh film
about the great English artist JMW Turner, “Mr Turner” drinks plenty of Sherry,
sometimes with his friend, the famous English importer John James Ruskin,
played by Stuart McQuarrie. In Richard Laxton’s film “Effie Gray” Ruskin is
played by David Suchet.
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| Turner receiving Sherry |
Ruskin,
father of the famous Victorian writer, artist, writer, social thinker and
philanthropist John Ruskin, was the leading shipper of Sherry in the early XIX
century. Between 1805 and 1808 he worked for Gordon & Murphy shipping Duff
Gordon wines, and then for Ruskin, Telford and Domecq shipping Haurie/Domecq
wines, making a fortune (£157,000-in old money) selling fine quality wine and
earning a reputation for honesty.
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| Turner at Ruskin's |
Sherry is
offered at his house at 54 Hunter Street, London when Mr Turner visits, and
again at a dinner for Effie Gray, the fiancée of Ruskin’s son John (though he
had always loved Pedro Domecq’s daughter Adele about whom he wrote lovely poetry).
(Info
kindly supplied by José Luis Jiménez)
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