Group Portrait of the Brontë Sisters by Branwell Brontë
Dublin Core
Title
Group Portrait of the Brontë Sisters by Branwell Brontë
Description
This group portrait of the Brontë sisters was painted by their brother Branwell Brontë circa 1834. The figures have been identified as Anne (left), Emily (middle), and Charlotte (right), with the silhouette of Branwell visible on the pillar near the center of the canvas. The portrait was believed to be lost or destroyed until its discovery by the second wife of Charlotte’s husband, Arthur Bell Nicholls, in 1914.
Elizabeth Gaskell provides an insightful description of the portrait in a passage from The Life of Charlotte Brontë:
“It was a group of [Branwell’s] sisters, life size, three-quarters’ length; not much better than sign-painting, as to manipulation; but the likenesses were, I should think, admirable. I could only judge of the fidelity with which the other two were depicted, from the striking resemblance which Charlotte, upholding the great frame of canvas, and consequently standing right behind it, bore to her own representation . . . On the side of the column which was lighted by the sun, stood Charlotte, in the womanly dress of that day of jigot sleeves and large collars. On the deeply shadowed side, was Emily, with Anne’s gentle face resting on her shoulder. Emily’s countenance struck me as full of power; Charlotte’s of solicitude; Anne’s of tenderness.” (145)
Gaskell’s remark about the “striking resemblance” between Charlotte and her likeness in the group portrait may prompt one to revisit the Richmond portrait to compare the two likenesses. The features are generally similar, with perhaps the most marked difference being the more youthful complexion of the Branwell portrait compared to the more mature eyes and expression of the Richmond (which is perfectly reasonable considering the portraits were completed sixteen years apart). The disparity might also be on account of a difference of skill between the two artists.
As with the Richmond portrait, it is impossible to know for sure whether Branwell’s representations of the sisters are as accurate as Gaskell believed them to be. The likenesses in Branwell's portrait (along with Charlotte's portrait by Richmond) are endlessly reproduced in the world, and each has come to represent the respective physicality of each sister; and yet, like Gaskell’s biography, they must ultimately be regarded as mere interpretations.
Even so, can one form an accurate impression of a person based almost solely on the interpretive work of others? After all, it can be argued that Gaskell merely interpreted the details of Charlotte’s life according to her own biases, and that Richmond’s and Branwell’s interpretations of the sisters’ likenesses were inevitably affected by their respective painting styles, as well as any potential limitations in terms of skill. However, studying a variety of representations can be valuable in that each individual interpretation has the potential to reveal a particular facet of the subject’s character that even the subject herself may not have been aware of.
Elizabeth Gaskell provides an insightful description of the portrait in a passage from The Life of Charlotte Brontë:
“It was a group of [Branwell’s] sisters, life size, three-quarters’ length; not much better than sign-painting, as to manipulation; but the likenesses were, I should think, admirable. I could only judge of the fidelity with which the other two were depicted, from the striking resemblance which Charlotte, upholding the great frame of canvas, and consequently standing right behind it, bore to her own representation . . . On the side of the column which was lighted by the sun, stood Charlotte, in the womanly dress of that day of jigot sleeves and large collars. On the deeply shadowed side, was Emily, with Anne’s gentle face resting on her shoulder. Emily’s countenance struck me as full of power; Charlotte’s of solicitude; Anne’s of tenderness.” (145)
Gaskell’s remark about the “striking resemblance” between Charlotte and her likeness in the group portrait may prompt one to revisit the Richmond portrait to compare the two likenesses. The features are generally similar, with perhaps the most marked difference being the more youthful complexion of the Branwell portrait compared to the more mature eyes and expression of the Richmond (which is perfectly reasonable considering the portraits were completed sixteen years apart). The disparity might also be on account of a difference of skill between the two artists.
As with the Richmond portrait, it is impossible to know for sure whether Branwell’s representations of the sisters are as accurate as Gaskell believed them to be. The likenesses in Branwell's portrait (along with Charlotte's portrait by Richmond) are endlessly reproduced in the world, and each has come to represent the respective physicality of each sister; and yet, like Gaskell’s biography, they must ultimately be regarded as mere interpretations.
Even so, can one form an accurate impression of a person based almost solely on the interpretive work of others? After all, it can be argued that Gaskell merely interpreted the details of Charlotte’s life according to her own biases, and that Richmond’s and Branwell’s interpretations of the sisters’ likenesses were inevitably affected by their respective painting styles, as well as any potential limitations in terms of skill. However, studying a variety of representations can be valuable in that each individual interpretation has the potential to reveal a particular facet of the subject’s character that even the subject herself may not have been aware of.
Creator
Branwell Brontë
Source
National Portrait Gallery, London
Date
circa 1834
Rights
National Portrait Gallery, London
Type
Portrait
Files
Citation
Branwell Brontë, “Group Portrait of the Brontë Sisters by Branwell Brontë,” Manhattan College Omeka , accessed September 20, 2024, https://omeka-pilot.manhattan.edu/items/show/44.