Blue Boy and Pinkie

My paternal grandparents always had Blue Boy and Pinkie hanging in their living room. I can just picture (no pun intended) them where there were on the wall above Memmette and Granddaddy's chairs. We often referred to them although I never really knew much about their history. Just to see a Blue Boy or Pinkie immediately makes me think of Memmette. 

Yesterday I made a trip "uptown" to our citywide yard sale and was browsing at the Christian church when I came across a Blue Boy. 

It was lying on a table with a few other prints. I shuffled through them looking for Pinkie but she wasn't there. For only $2 I had to get Blue Boy. 

Memmette memories are worth far more than that. I figured I'd just hang it in the garage if nothing else. I asked the gal manning the checkout, Dana the youth pastor's wife, if they had Pinkie. She said she hadn't seen it but would ask the lady who donated the items. 

Right when I got in the car I took a pic of Blue Boy and sent it to my aunt and uncle and one of my cousins. We all have emotional attachments to Blue Boy and Pinkie as you can see from the pix I started getting from Aunt Carole and Sonya of their collections:

My uncle has the Blue Boy from my grandparents' house in his living room now. I'm guessing my aunt has the Pinkie. 

This morning I googled the little darlings and read more about them. They were painted by two different artists, didn't know that. Blue Boy was done by Gainsborough in 1770 and Pinkie by Lawrence in 1794. They are both on display in the Huntington Library in San Marino CA. 

I wish I could talk to Memmette about her pictures again. I'd ask her where she got them and how she came to appreciate them. I wish I could email or skype my dad in New Zealand and tell him I got my first Blue Boy. But chatting with my aunt and uncle and cousin was the next best thing and it was a sweet walk down memory lane about something we all share. Special. I will try to pass on the connection to Mallory and Michael. 

As a fun aside, I got on eBay and my very same Blue Boy I picked up for 2 bucks is listed for 49.99:)