on July 11, 2015 Recently I read a story online about how a forensic expert had created a lifelike version of Jane Austen. Naturally, as a fan of the author’s work, I was interested to see what the experts thought Jane looked like. There have been a few quotes about her appearance and two portraits of her. One portrait was drawn during her lifetime, created by her sister Cassandra in 1810, and one was created fifty years after her death in 1870. All evidence from the era depicts Jane Austen as having a pretty, rounded face and large eyes.
I think it’s fair to assume that the portraits held some likeness to Jane’s appearance, especially the one her sister drew, which Jane would have commented on if it wasn’t close to how she looked.
So, can anyone tell me why the new model looks like a skeletal bird-woman?
There are reports from the time about what Jane looked like:
Austen’s nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh, described his aunt as “very attractive”. “Her figure was rather tall and slender, her step light and firm, and her whole appearance expressive of health and animation. In complexion she was a clear brunette with a rich colour; she had full round cheeks, with mouth and nose small and well-formed, bright hazel eyes, and brown hair forming natural curls close round her face,” he wrote in his memoir.
Remember that slender back in 1810 did not mean rail thin with their bones poking out like it means today. Attractive women were plumper back in the day. Also note: ‘with mouth and nose small and well-formed…’ How is the model’s nose well-formed? It looks as if it was attacked by a crazy plastic surgeon!
Caroline Austen, his sister, stated: “as to my Aunt’s personal appearance, hers was the first face that I can remember thinking pretty … Her face was rather round than long – she had a bright, but not pink colour – a clear brown complexion and very good hazel eyes … Her hair, a darkish brown, curled naturally – it was in short curls around her face.”
So, there’s the description: hazel eyes, dark brown hair and a round face. Not to mention her small nose, which in the imagery above looks long, thin and nothing like the noses described or the ones in the portraits.
So, as a hazel-eyed, dark-haired, round-faced English girl with a small nose of this era, I decided to see if I looked more like Jane Austen than that model does, so I compared my author photo to the portrait of Jane from 1870, which is based on Cassandra Austen’s original portrait from 1810.
Maybe I’m crazy here, but I think that I look more like Jane Austen than the model above does!
I dunno. What do you think? Am I crazy? Will forensics make me look like the bird woman of Alcatraz in two hundred years’ time? Luckily, no one will be looking for a photo of me in two hundred years time, but I’d be turning over in my grave if that model was a depiction of me!
Still, I have to wonder if Jane would even care. She never commissioned a portrait. I think the words were more important to her than her self-image was, which begs a question as to why so much time and money has been spent on making a replica of her. Wouldn’t the promotion of her words do her more justice? That was the legacy she left behind.
But if you really must make a waxwork of her, can it at least be slightly close to the original portrait?