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Charlotte Brontë

(1816-1855), Novelist

Early Victorian Portraits Catalogue Entry

Sitter associated with 4 portraits
One of the Brontë sisters; a novelist whose books, including Jane Eyre, and Villette, extended the emotional range of English fiction. Acutely shy in person, Brontë fearlessly questioned social conventions in her novels, drawing on her experience as a teacher and governess. The daughter of an Anglican clergyman, she married her father's curate, the Rev. A.B. Nicholls, in 1854, but still faced criticism for the seemingly immoral qualities of her strong female characters. In writing her biography, Elizabeth Gaskell aimed to restore Brontë's respectability, and succeeded in establishing her reputation as a tragic, but courageous figure who demonstrated the intellectual ability of women.

Watch a film clip on the sitter from the BBC Archive in the Media section below

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The Brontë Sisters (Anne Brontë; Emily Brontë; Charlotte Brontë), by Patrick Branwell Brontë - NPG 1725

The Brontë Sisters (Anne Brontë; Emily Brontë; Charlotte Brontë)

by Patrick Branwell Brontë
oil on canvas, circa 1834
On display in Room 24 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG 1725

Charlotte Brontë, by George Richmond - NPG 1452

Charlotte Brontë

by George Richmond
chalk, 1850
NPG 1452

Unknown woman, formerly known as Charlotte Brontë, by Unknown artist - NPG 1444

Unknown woman, formerly known as Charlotte Brontë

by Unknown artist
watercolour, 1850
NPG 1444

Charlotte Brontë, by Walker & Boutall, after George Richmond - NPG D32171

Charlotte Brontë

by Walker & Boutall, after George Richmond
collotype, 1886 or after (1850)
NPG D32171

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