Louise Sanfaçon made the portrait in the right.
Lorsque le portrait de Charlotte Brontë, réalisé par l’artiste George Richmond, fut publié en frontispice de sa biographie en 1857, soit deux ans après sa mort à l’âge de trente-huit ans, il a attiré quelques commentaires acrimonieux de son ancienne amie Mary Taylor : «Je ne suis pas du tout favorable à l’idée de publier un portrait qui embellisse ses traits.» a-t-elle répliqué à la biographe Elizabeth Gaskell. «J’aurais de loin préféré voir le vrai visage de Charlotte, avec les yeux et la bouche plus rapprochés, de même que son menton carré et son grand nez disproportionné.» soeursbronte/le-vrai-visage-de-charlotte/
When the portrait of Charlotte Brontë, directed by George Richmond, was published as the frontispiece of his biography in 1857, two years after his death at the age of thirty-eight years, he drew some of his former acrimonious comments friend Mary Taylor: "I am not at all favorable to the idea of publishing a portrait that embellish his features." she replied to the biographer Elizabeth Gaskell.
I had rather the mouth and eyes had been nearer together
and shown the veritable square face and large disproportionate nose'
Gaskell herself had written of her subject’s “plain, large and ill-set features”, “crooked mouth and large nose”, and in private had been even more specific about “a reddish face; large mouth & many teeth gone; altogether plain; the forehead square, broad and rather overhanging”.
George Smith was so impressed by the prominence of Miss Brontë’s brow that he took her to a phrenologist in 1851 to have it analysed, but thought little of her personal charms, recalling that her head “seemed too large for her body” and that “her face was marred by the shape of the mouth and by the complexion”.
Speaking as an artist, I approve of everything but that brow. It's been over done imo and ruins the effect. She looks like she has water on the brain! The hair profile is too altered as well.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenRichmond was known for making people look better. But clever fellow, he never tried to alter them completely. The secret is he put everything in , but he softened the definition of what was considered the less lovely aspects . Charlotte's large nose is in his picture, he just softened the line on one side etc.
In this new picture, the artist actually took brow away from the side and then added too much brow hight .
Extra brow should have been added on the side ,over and around the eyes, (where Richmond put it) and then add just a little more. One must listen to Richmond as well as Mary.
If I read the way people describe Charlotte I think Louise Sanfaçon did it rather well.The forehead square, broad and rather overhanging, a square face, a large nose, eyes near to each other. George Smith impressed by the brows. Maybe the eyes had to be a little nearer to each other.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI was always surprised that Charlotte thought she was ugly. The portraits of her don't show the most beautiful woman of the earth, but certainly not an ugly woman.
if I see the portrait Louise Sanfaçon i start to understand what Charlotte might have looked. Ruth Wilson in Jane Eyre looks a lot like this.
I once saw a strip of Jane Eyre. Jane was very, very ugly and angry. A little bit like the caricature of herself she sent to Ellen Nussey. I thought maybe Charlotte was looking like this. I will search for it again.
Indeed" brow over hanging" , that is ; some what wider ( broader) than Richmond made it...but not straight up, and so much taller as we see here.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenImo he would not make her so different as to be this noticeable. Then the point of his craft is lost. I believe Smith choose him because he was known to flatter, but flatter convincingly. The rest as I say, I like.
Was this done digitally using a file of Richmond's drawing ? I would think so.
In Branwell's portrait, her brow is more square than in Richmond's drawing. But her hair was not hiding it as it was later, in 1850.
Charlotte had such a keen sense of beauty, she was hard on everyone about it .... Poor James Taylor! Among others lol And being such a honest person, she included herself in that judgment just as serverly if not more so.. If Mary is our guide, it's to be remembered she told Charlotte she was ugly.
Charlotte started to cry when she saw the finished portrait Richmond made. She told, it was like seeing her sister. So, there must be a resemblance in it.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenBut not only Mary told Charlotte is ugly. She told it in the hardest words. But Gaskell and George Smith did mention it to. But much more polite. Gaskell gossiping about everything. In fact brought the gossiping into the world. And George, everytime I read his words I don't like him at all.
Yes it's said she thought it looked like Anne, and one can see that when looking at Branwell's painting. The older George got, the colder he seem to become. He could be quite ruthless later in life. He knew how distressing a check without a personal note would be to Charlotte...far more upsetting than the low payment. It was payment for putting him and his mother in a book! lol. But you are right, his description of her looks seems cold,dismissive. I forget who reported CB had missing teeth! Yet to Arthur, Charlotte Bronte was the most alluring woman in the world. Love sees inside a person and then the outside.
BeantwoordenVerwijderenI'm about to start my own portrait of Charlotte based on Richmond's drawing and I find I agree heartily with my earlier assessment of this rendition. In fact, it makes me laugh. Did the artist ever see the original? With all our technology, I have never seen a print that does justice to Richmond's portrait. If one used as a model a print and the words of others, I believe it would greatly lessen the chance of a successful portrait. One must see Richmond's original and study it. Luckily I was able to do so in 2016
BeantwoordenVerwijderen"But not only Mary told Charlotte is ugly. She told it in the hardest words."
That was Mary's way. A complement from her was rare! lol. I doubt Mary ever saw the original drawing. Her opinion might have been different if she had. What is so startling about the original is its beautiful expression. In prints CB looks cross.....nothing could further from the original