Portrait of Mary Elizabeth Braddon

Portrait of Mary Elizabeth Braddon
ArtistWilliam Powell Frith
Year1865
TypeOil on canvas, portrait painting
Dimensions91.4 cm × 71.8 cm (36.0 in × 28.3 in)
LocationNational Portrait Gallery, London

Portrait of Mary Elizabeth Braddon is an 1865 portrait painting by the British artist William Powell Frith. It depicts the author Mary Elizabeth Braddon.[1]

Braddon had gained fame through her 1862 sensation novel Lady Audley's Secret. Frith was best known for his panoramic scenes of Victorian life such as The Derby Day. He was a close associate of Charles Dickens and was on friendly terms with Braddon as well. He also featured her in his later group painting A Private View at the Royal Academy, 1881.[2]

The painting was displayed at the Royal Academy Exhibition of 1865 held at the National Gallery in London. It was later acquired by the neighbouring National Portrait Gallery in 1966.[3]

References

  1. ^ "Mary Elizabeth Braddon". National Portrait Gallery, London. Retrieved 2026-06-18.
  2. ^ Green & Sellars pp. 117–19
  3. ^ "Mary Elizabeth Maxwell, née Braddon". Art UK. Retrieved 2026-06-18.

Bibliography

  • Green, Richard & Sellars, Jane. William Powell Frith: The People's Painter. Bloomsbury, 2019.
  • Ormond, Richard. Early Victorian Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, 1974.
  • Saywell, David & Simon, Jacob. National Portrait Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue. National Portrait Gallery, 2004.