Introduction

The Brontës are perhaps the most mythicized authors in literary history. Their story has been the subject of countless biographies since the publication of Elizabeth Gaskell’s seminal Life of Charlotte Brontë, the first and most comprehensive major work about the Brontë family. Charlotte’s father, Patrick Brontë, had entrusted Gaskell with the task of documenting the life of his late daughter, as Gaskell’s own literary merit was at that point well known. The resulting account of the life of fellow novelist and dear friend Charlotte Brontë is famously well-researched and skillfully written, making it the predominant source of inspiration for countless imitators.

Surely it is no surprise that the relatively short lives of four impoverished children with exceptional literary talent have spawned a plethora of dedicated biographers. The question is, how do we determine which representations of the Brontës are truthful and which are not? After all, even Gaskell’s account has been criticized for its failure to represent the more controversial details of Charlotte’s character. Such factors as the inclination to romanticize desolation and the idealization of an esteemed subject contribute to the perpetuation of the “Brontë myth,” thus making it impossible to ever truly know the Brontës.

The tension between intent and product makes the artist-subject relationship remarkably complex, as the enduring memory of the subject is in many ways dependent on the artist’s commitment to the truthfulness of the representation. As with any work of art, representation depends on both the artist’s interpretation of the subject and the observer’s interpretation of that representation, making it possible for a single representation to be interpreted in an infinite number of ways. But what is the role of representation in the world if there is no ultimate judge of truthfulness?

This exhibition explores the question of whether or not “true” representation in art or literature is achievable, and the extent to which it matters. Ultimately, an examination of a wide variety of representations enables the observer to gain a more thorough understanding of the subject, regardless of the supposed truthfulness of each individual representation. From paintings to novels to biographies, every representation, no matter how “truthful,” has a distinctive purpose and value insofar as it provides a fresh avenue of exploration.