Celebrating Charlotte Brontë: 1816 – 1855

Celebrating Charlotte Brontë marks the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of one of the most celebrated authors of the 19th century. Charlotte Brontë’s novels, which include Jane Eyre (1847), Shirley (1849) and Villette (1853) continue to capture the imaginations of readers today. This display explores Brontë’s life and literary career through portraits and includes treasures on loan from the Brontë Parsonage Museum.

Central to the display will be the presentation of new research into the only surviving painted portraits of Charlotte with her two sisters, Emily and Anne, by their brother Branwell, in the Gallery’s Collection. This will explore the intriguing story of its discovery folded on top of a wardrobe, subsequent acquisition by the Gallery and its restoration.