William Courtenay, 3rd Viscount Courtenay and 9th Earl of Devon (1768–1835), has been most remembered for his romantic relationship with author and slave owner, William Beckford (1760–1844), which scandalized London society in 1784. However, the 9th Earl’s life after this event has received little attention despite his artistic contributions to the built environment of his ancestral home of Powderham Castle in Devon. In the 1790s, he created a series of flower watercolors on paper and cabinets under the supervision of his drawing master, William Marshall Craig (c.1765–1827). These artworks complicate ideas about gendered expectations of amateur artistic subjects, with flower painting being largely understood as a feminine accomplishment. This article explores the Earl’s watercolors in the context of the spaces at Powderham to argue they are evidence of his effeminate behavior and participation in female activities alongside his thirteen sisters. The association of these objects with a man attracted to those of his own sex contribute to studies of queerness, amateur art, and the country house in the late eighteenth century.

中文翻译：

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“迷失在鲜花与愚蠢中”：第九代德文伯爵花卉水彩画的性别解读


威廉·考特尼，第三代考特尼子爵和第九代德文伯爵（1768-1835 年），因其与作家兼奴隶主威廉·贝克福德（1760-1844 年）的浪漫关系而被人们铭记，这一关系在 1784 年震惊了伦敦社会。然而，第九代伯爵尽管厄尔对其祖居德文郡庞德汉姆城堡的建筑环境做出了艺术贡献，但此事件后的生活却很少受到关注。 1790 年代，他在绘画大师威廉·马歇尔·克雷格（William Marshall Craig，约 1765-1827 年）的监督下，在纸上和橱柜上创作了一系列花卉水彩画。这些艺术品使关于业余艺术主题的性别期望的想法变得复杂，花卉画在很大程度上被理解为女性的成就。本文在 Powderham 的空间背景下探讨了伯爵的水彩画，认为它们是他女性化行为以及与他的十三姐妹一起参与女性活动的证据。这些物品与一个被同性所吸引的男人的联系有助于对 18 世纪末的酷儿、业余艺术和乡村别墅的研究。