Picture Jane

What do you think when you look at the one and only portrait of Jane Austen? I think: “Smug and stupid.” And she was anything but!

I don't see smug, but I do see stupid. Stupid and misproportioned is what I usually think when I see the picture. I don't think she looks like a real person, I have trouble making the picture look like a human in my head.

Mm, if I recall correstly, our best known (authenticated) portrait of Miss Austen is the sketch by her sister Cassandra, who was by no means a professional artist. (Though I do not claim to be able to do half so well!)

Now that I think of it, was there not some fairly recent discovery of another possibility? (pause while rummaging online...)

Perhaps this?

http://www.artworksgallery.co.uk/book.html

It's an interesting notion.

Thanks for posting that - indeed interesting!