What did Charlotte Brontë Really Look Like?
Today, we’re diving into the story of Charlotte Brontë - a woman who lived through heartbreak, isolation, and loss in the harsh world of Industrial Age England, but still managed to turn that pain into timeless art.
Charlotte’s works capture the longing, repression, delight, and grief that defined the women of her day.
Watch the full video on Charlotte, with facial reconstructions on YouTube here.
Finding the true appearance of Charlotte Bronte takes a little bit of historical portrait detective work. Fans of the Bronte sisters have long been searching for more authenticated portraits, or even photographs of the women. And there miiiight be one. But first, let’s go over what we know for sure.
There are two authenticated portraits of Charlotte. First, this chalk sketch by George Richmond, which was made when she was 33. It was actually commissioned by her publisher as a gift for her father and prized by the family. After her death, her husband bequeathed it to the National Portrait Gallery.
But historians consider this portrait to be “flattered” - meaning it makes her look a little more delicate than her other confirmed likeness, which is this painting of the sisters from the 1830s by their brother Branwell. While most historians consider this a poorly executed painting, it seemed like no one disputed that it did truly look like the sisters. People visiting the Bronte home would always praise its accuracy, at least in the girls’ features. They were also quite young here, Charlotte was probably in her late teens.
Where it gets tough for me as the person who has to re-create this is that when we compare the portraits, they have some big differences. George Richmond’s sketch is definitely more flattering. It seems to slim her face and make her a bit more elegant. It’s certainly more skilled. But then we look at Branwell’s and everyone agrees it’s the best likeness, but it’s just not a good painting. So that is tough.
But maybe there’s one more image. There is this really interesting photograph - well, actually a copy of a daguerreotype - of three sisters.
Fun Fact: Charlotte was actually the first author known to use the word “Daguerreotype” in a novel, and was used the same way we use the word “Photograph.”
The image was discovered in a messy attic in France - crazy to think what else might be hiding in attics around the world - and is believed to show Charlotte on the left, Emily in the center, and Anne on the right.
The image was taken by the same photographer that was hired to document Charlotte’s town after her death, and it has a label that states it’s the Bronte sisters. In fact, it was found amongst a stack of other images also related to the Brontes and their town.
Analysis revealed that Charlotte and Emily are wearing cloaks in the Belgian style, a place they were known to have taught. Even the slight droop of Charlotte’s mouth on the lefthand side is captured, seeming to match both authenticated portraits. The woman believed to be Charlotte is striking in her direct gaze. Although it’s hard to tell in black and white, Charlotte was known to have this beautiful, indiscriminate eye. Some people described her eyes as reddish brown, and some said they were blue or grey. She was said to be a very small person, kind of dainty in appearance. If this photograph is her, it captures her notorious shyness and piercing eyes really well.
The only mark against this being authentic, is that Emily’s hat, on the middle figure, is more of an 1860s style than the 1840s when this would have been taken. The main problem I see when comparing the alleged daguerreotype with the authenticated images is that the photograph shows Charlotte with a much heavier bone structure, with really deep set eyes and a lower forehead. Otherwise, the proportions match pretty well.
And people are OBSESSED with trying to confirm if this is really the Bronte sisters. There is an entire blog devoted to the minute details in this image by a brilliant independent researcher - I’m going to link it in the description. Details like could the bronte sisters afford a daguerreotype, 1840s vs 1860s style hats, and Emily’s barely visible chipped tooth are all discussed.
While it’s still not confirmed, I think there is a very solid case for this being an authentic likeness, and I’m going to use it to bring Charlotte Bronte back to life.
