Female artists and the self-portrait
During the mid-19th century, more British women were admitted into formal art schools than ever before. Despite these newly opened doors, however, female creativity was still constrained. Portraiture and genre painting, or the painting of subjects and scenes from everyday life, were two of the few forms that Victorian society allowed women to pursue. Only a relatively small number of women were working professionally. For these painters, the self-portrait became a powerful means of self-expression. In portraying themselves, these artists could explore their own identities, assert their individuality, and challenge the dominant male gaze.
Brownlow’s unassuming mirror
Emma Brownlow, the most represented female artist in the Museum’s Collection, depicted scenes of everyday life through her work. In her self-portrait, the self-taught artist herself is the subject. Brownlow portrays herself humbly, wearing a plain, ochre-coloured frock. We don’t see any vanity or posturing, common elements found in the self-portraits of many 19th-century male artists. There are no obvious references to the artist’s profession or craft. This depiction seems somewhat at odds with Brownlow’s life at the time. By the 1860s, the artist had already experienced modest success. She enjoyed a certain degree of mobility and financial independence, arranging trips abroad to broaden her horizons, and improve her artistic skills. Brownlow eventually stopped exhibiting in 1877, choosing to focus on her family over her career.
This self-portrait offers us valuable insights into how Brownlow viewed her art and place in society. Brownlow, who was not a formally educated artist, doesn’t appear to see herself as being defined by her work. The woman presented is alert and content, indifferent to the stifling limitations for women in the 19th century. The looking glass does not reflect a gleaming ego, nor a glass ceiling – just a young, unassuming, ordinary woman.
About the artist
Born in 1832, Emma Brownlow was the youngest of three daughters of John Brownlow, the Secretary of the Foundling Hospital. Working in oil paint, pencil, watercolour, and charcoal, Brownlow’s artistry was no doubt influenced by her intimate knowledge of and connection with the Hospital. Her first exhibited painting, The Foundling Girl, was shown at the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) in 1852. She would go on to exhibit regularly at the RA throughout her career, as well as various other galleries throughout England. Today, her depictions of life at the Hospital remain essential to modern understandings of the institution.
