[Milton-L] Re: Trying to Identify a Painting

[Carol Barton]

Apparently (per the URL from the International Milton Conference),

"Soma Orlai Petrics (1822-1880) was one of the great Hungarian history 
painters. His 1862 'Milton dictating Paradise Lost to his daughters' is 
displayed in Budapest at the Hungarian National Gallery. Orlay's painting 
inspired Mihály Munkácsy in the creation of his famous 'Milton' (1878 - now 
in New York)."

That should at least answer Peter's question (properly)--and suggests part 
of the answer to your question, too, Hannibal. As I said, I don't think 
Munkacsy's interest was particularly Miltonic, since his own comments about 
the painting (which I have somewhere, but not to hand) indicate that he 
didn't even know the girls' names. Perhaps the curator of the Hungarian 
National Gallery could be of help, as to the basis for their choice of 
Milton--and particularly Milton dictating to his daughters--as a subject?

Best to all,

Carol Barton