Early Victorian Portraits Catalogue
Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861), Poet; wife of Robert Browning
- Gallery portraits
- All known portraits
- Biography and References
This does not include photographs. In a letter to the NPG of 28 April 1948, Dr A. J. Armstrong of Baylor University, Texas, enclosed a typed list of portraits of Mrs Browning. The sale of R. B. Browning's pictures was at Sotheby's, 1 May 1913.
As a baby
Painting on the lid of a snuff box by an unknown artist. Collection of Mrs V. and Miss M. Altham.
Reproduced D. Hewlett, Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1953), facing p 32.
1815
Pastel by C. Hayter, Browning Sale, 1913 (lot 10), bought Sabin.
Engraved by G. Cooke for The Collected Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1890), I, frontispiece. Almost certainly the picture exhibited VE, 1892 (277), lent by R. B. Browning, where it was described as an oil painting by an unknown artist: the sizes were, however, the same as the portrait sold by Sotheby's, and the description in the VE catalogue tallies with the engraving.
As a child
Engraving by J. Brown, after Mayou, for The Collected Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1890), II, frontispiece.
1818
Painting by W. Artaud (with(?) Edward and Henrietta Barrett). Collection of Mrs. V. and Miss M. Altham. Reproduced Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Letters to her Sister, edited L. Huxley (1929), frontispiece.
c.1820
Crayon by an unknown artist. Wellesley College Library, Massachusetts. Reproduced D. Hewlett, Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1953), facing p 65.
1823
Water-colour by Mrs Barrett (her mother). Collection of Mrs V. and Miss M. Altham.
Reproduced E. B. Browning Letters, edited Huxley, facing p 128.
1828
Painting called Mrs Browning attributed to Sir T. Lawrence. Collection of Charles Avery, New York.
See K. Garlick, 'A Catalogue of the Paintings, Drawings and Pastels of Sir Thomas Lawrence', Walpole Society, XXXIX (1962-4), 42.
1832
Drawing by Arabella Barrett. Dr Armstrong's list.
1843
Water-colour by Alfred Barrett. Collection of E. R. Moulton-Barrett.
Exhibited Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Centenary Exhibition, St Marylebone Central Library, London, 1961 (96). Reproduced D. Hewlett, Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1953), frontispiece.
1845
Drawing by W. M. Thackeray (with the artist and Mrs Brookfield). Huntington Library, California.
Reproduced G. N. Ray, Letters and Private Papers of W. M. Thackeray (1945), II, facing 246.
1849
Drawing by L. Dickinson. Dr Armstrong's list.
1853
Painting by T. B. Read. Pennsylvania Historical Society.
Reproduced L. Greer, Browning and America (University of North Carolina Press, 1952), facing p 48.
Silhouette by J. Turner. Browning Sale, 1913 (lot 1411).
c.1857
Medallion by Marshall Wood. Martin Collection, 1857. Reproduced The National Magazine (14 February 1857), p 313.
1858
Painting by M. Gordigiani (NPG 1899).
Drawing by Mrs E. F. Fox-Bridell. Sotheby's, 12 March 1951 (lot 242).
Reproduced P. Lubbock, Elizabeth Barrett Browning in her Letters (1906), frontispiece.
Photograph by Macaire of Le Havre, engraved by T. O. Barlow for the fourth edition of Aurora Leigh (1859).
1859
Drawing by F. Talfourd (NPG 322).
Drawing by R. Lehmann. British Museum.
Exhibited RA, 1869 (1135). Reproduced R. Lehmann, Men and Women of the Century (1896), no.II.
1861
Posthumous bust by W. W. Story. Keats and Shelley Memorial Museum, Rome.
Reproduced D. Hewlett, Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1953), facing p 289.
Undated
Painting by H. W. Pickersgill. Exhibited VE, 1892 (208), lent by J. Moulton-Barrett.
Drawing by F. Leighton. See New Letters of Robert Browning, edited W. C. De Vane and K. L. Knickerbocker (1951), pp 115-6.
Drawing by V. Prinsep, miniature by J. W. Childe, and medallion by M. Smith Dean. Dr Armstrong's list.
Unknown miniature (after 1858 daguerreotype, taken at Le Havre, see above). Collection of Mrs A. C. Whitcombe. Exhibited, Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Centenary Exhibition, St Marylebone Central Library, London, 1961 (105).
Silhouette by R. Dighton. Referred to by J.Woodiwiss, British Silhouettes (1965), p 71.
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Ormond, Early Victorian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1973, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.
As a baby
Painting on the lid of a snuff box by an unknown artist. Collection of Mrs V. and Miss M. Altham.
Reproduced D. Hewlett, Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1953), facing p 32.
1815
Pastel by C. Hayter, Browning Sale, 1913 (lot 10), bought Sabin.
Engraved by G. Cooke for The Collected Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1890), I, frontispiece. Almost certainly the picture exhibited VE, 1892 (277), lent by R. B. Browning, where it was described as an oil painting by an unknown artist: the sizes were, however, the same as the portrait sold by Sotheby's, and the description in the VE catalogue tallies with the engraving.
As a child
Engraving by J. Brown, after Mayou, for The Collected Works of Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1890), II, frontispiece.
1818
Painting by W. Artaud (with(?) Edward and Henrietta Barrett). Collection of Mrs. V. and Miss M. Altham. Reproduced Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Letters to her Sister, edited L. Huxley (1929), frontispiece.
c.1820
Crayon by an unknown artist. Wellesley College Library, Massachusetts. Reproduced D. Hewlett, Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1953), facing p 65.
1823
Water-colour by Mrs Barrett (her mother). Collection of Mrs V. and Miss M. Altham.
Reproduced E. B. Browning Letters, edited Huxley, facing p 128.
1828
Painting called Mrs Browning attributed to Sir T. Lawrence. Collection of Charles Avery, New York.
See K. Garlick, 'A Catalogue of the Paintings, Drawings and Pastels of Sir Thomas Lawrence', Walpole Society, XXXIX (1962-4), 42.
1832
Drawing by Arabella Barrett. Dr Armstrong's list.
1843
Water-colour by Alfred Barrett. Collection of E. R. Moulton-Barrett.
Exhibited Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Centenary Exhibition, St Marylebone Central Library, London, 1961 (96). Reproduced D. Hewlett, Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1953), frontispiece.
1845
Drawing by W. M. Thackeray (with the artist and Mrs Brookfield). Huntington Library, California.
Reproduced G. N. Ray, Letters and Private Papers of W. M. Thackeray (1945), II, facing 246.
1849
Drawing by L. Dickinson. Dr Armstrong's list.
1853
Painting by T. B. Read. Pennsylvania Historical Society.
Reproduced L. Greer, Browning and America (University of North Carolina Press, 1952), facing p 48.
Silhouette by J. Turner. Browning Sale, 1913 (lot 1411).
c.1857
Medallion by Marshall Wood. Martin Collection, 1857. Reproduced The National Magazine (14 February 1857), p 313.
1858
Painting by M. Gordigiani (NPG 1899).
Drawing by Mrs E. F. Fox-Bridell. Sotheby's, 12 March 1951 (lot 242).
Reproduced P. Lubbock, Elizabeth Barrett Browning in her Letters (1906), frontispiece.
Photograph by Macaire of Le Havre, engraved by T. O. Barlow for the fourth edition of Aurora Leigh (1859).
1859
Drawing by F. Talfourd (NPG 322).
Drawing by R. Lehmann. British Museum.
Exhibited RA, 1869 (1135). Reproduced R. Lehmann, Men and Women of the Century (1896), no.II.
1861
Posthumous bust by W. W. Story. Keats and Shelley Memorial Museum, Rome.
Reproduced D. Hewlett, Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1953), facing p 289.
Undated
Painting by H. W. Pickersgill. Exhibited VE, 1892 (208), lent by J. Moulton-Barrett.
Drawing by F. Leighton. See New Letters of Robert Browning, edited W. C. De Vane and K. L. Knickerbocker (1951), pp 115-6.
Drawing by V. Prinsep, miniature by J. W. Childe, and medallion by M. Smith Dean. Dr Armstrong's list.
Unknown miniature (after 1858 daguerreotype, taken at Le Havre, see above). Collection of Mrs A. C. Whitcombe. Exhibited, Elizabeth Barrett Browning: Centenary Exhibition, St Marylebone Central Library, London, 1961 (105).
Silhouette by R. Dighton. Referred to by J.Woodiwiss, British Silhouettes (1965), p 71.
This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: Richard Ormond, Early Victorian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1973, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.