When mass advert 19th - hundred Pre - Raphaelite art , it often conjure a very specific image — one of glowingly pallid women , oftengathering wildflower . Fanny Eaton , the Jamaican - born British art model , was the exception to that rule , but her station in its history has been largely overlooked .
Illustrator and writerSarah Ushurhenoticed this and essay to change it . She produce an animatedshortabout Eaton , which was commission by BBC , and even corrected a misidentifiedsketchat the Victoria and Albert Museum . “ The front and office of Black people in British chronicle is never highlighted as much from an art story linear perspective , ” Ushurhe told Mental Floss in an email . “ I ’m captivated that this hidden history about her vocation is being uncovered — it allows Black and sundry inheritance the great unwashed to see themselves in non - subservient positions in prudish art . ” Here are eight fact about Eaton , the oft - forget Victorian muse .
1. Fanny Eaton was born in 1835, just one year after Britain abolished slavery.
Fanny Matilda Antwistle was born on June 23 , 1835 , in St. Andrew , Jamaica . Her mother was Matilda Foster , aformerly enslavedperson . Eaton ’s father is unknown , but a written description of her as “ mulatto , ” a derogatory term then associated with mule , indicate that she was mixed race . Some sourcesproposethat “ Antwistle ” have-to doe with to James Entwistle , a whitened British soldier , as Eaton ’s potential father . Eaton and her mothermoved to Englandsometime during the 1840s .
2. Simeon Solomon was one of the first artists to paint Fanny Eaton.
Although it ’s unclear where Simeon Solomon would have see Eaton , hesketched herin 1859 . Just a class later , she posed as the titular character inThe Mother of Moses , Solomon ’s picture that debut at the Royal Academy in 1860 .
3. When Fanny Eaton worked as an art model, imperialistic attitudes were very much prevalent in Britain.
When it came to racial representation in nineteenth - century British art , disastrous models were often used tohighlight the whitenessor status of other example , or as exoticized , unnamedcharacters . It ’s important to observe this societal clime , as Eaton ’s portrait often portray her as scriptural figures or well - dressed and dignified despite her working class societal status .
4. Many of Fanny Eaton’s portraits notably feature her natural curly hair.
“ Although described by some as ‘ furious , ’ her beautiful , curly natural hair worn in a middle part style has become a trademark of most of the pieces she ’s sport in , ” Ushurhe say . Eaton ’s curls have a meaningful wallop today . “ Those with a similar instinctive hair texture to Fanny , like myself , who may not feel comfortable with their natural hairsbreadth texture can see themselves celebrated through Fanny in art , ” Ushurhe said . “ It ’s especially famous for the Victorian epoch , when the Black and miscellaneous inheritance comportment was usually hide away . ”
5. Fanny Eaton was painted by two female artists, Rebecca Solomon and Joanna Boyce Wells.
The Pre - Raphaelite artist were originally known as thePre - Raphaelite Brotherhood , and as such , thewomen artistswho bring to this artistic style were often viewed in relation to their male creative person relation . One of those artists was Rebecca Solomon , sister of Simeon Solomon , who painted Eaton as an Indian maid inA Young Teacher(1861 ) . Joanna Boyce Wells , another notable female artist , painted one of the most strikingly elegant written report of Eaton . Wells had also planned to make aportraitof Eaton as a sibyl , but die at age 30 before this could chance .
6. Fanny Eaton’s partner died in 1881, leaving her the sole caretaker of their children.
Fanny Eaton began live with James Eaton , a buck - taxi driver , when she was 22 . The twosome had 10 child . Fanny became their only caretaker after James died in his forties . Brian Eaton , Fanny ’s great - grandson , has suggestedthey may not have really we d , since no marriage written document was ever found .
7. No one is sure exactly why Fanny Eaton stopped modeling.
Eaton seems to have stopped modeling near her mid - thirties , with six fry in towage at that point . After James died , she took on avariety of jobs , including working as a seamstress , a roomer , and sign of the zodiac cook .
8. The last painting of Fanny Eaton is contested.
Pre - Raphaelite historian and Fanny Eaton scholar Jan Marshspeculatedon her blog thatThe Slave , a somewhat muddy - looking 1886 house painting by William Blake Richmond , might have sport Fanny Eaton as the model . Since Eaton seems to have resign moulding decennary prior to the completion of this painting , whether or not it ’s her persist a mystery .
