Journal

Branwell painted about eleven portraits during his year in Bradford which
ended in May, 1839. His most successful works were of the Kirby family and
their niece, Margaret Hartley. The portrait of Mrs Kirby is almost a caricature
but was probably an accurate rendition of a toothless, querulous old lady
who later plagued Branwell with supposedly unrealistic demands that he finish
varnishing her paintings. Branwell must have enjoyed the company of the
young Margaret Hartley, however, and his portrait of her is surely his greatest
achievement, despite her unnaturally long arms. In 1893 Margaret Hartley
recalled that Branwell ‘was a very steady young gentleman, his conduct was
exemplary, and we liked him very much…Whilst lodging with us he painted
my portrait and those of my uncle and aunt, and all three were accounted
good likenesses.’ 19
Dear Ellen,
…Branwell, who used to enliven us, is to leave us in a few days to enter the
situation of a private tutor in Ulverston. How he will like or settle remains yet to
be seen; at present he is full of hope and resolution.
I, who know his variable nature, and his strong turn for active life, dare not be
too sanguine. We are as busy as possible preparing for his departure, and shirtmaking
and collar-stitching fully occupy our time… 20
Charlotte Brontë
28th December, 1839
‘His variable nature, and his strong turn for active life’ was Charlotte’s
euphemistic way of describing Branwell’s violent mood swings and his
increasingly reckless life style which invariably resulted in his inability to pursue
any career with long-term success. He simply lacked the stamina to live up to
the unrealistic expectations of his family and in the last three years allowed his
life to descend into alcoholism and drug addiction. But he was also the
product of poor decision-making – something for which Patrick must also
share the blame – and a total ignorance of what the demands of a
professional artist would entail. His natural reticence at seeking commissions in
the face of stiff competition from older, more established artists, for
example, meant that at best he could only demand the lowest prices, and this
was quite apart from the perhaps not unwarranted criticism that his degree
of talent as a portrait artist was rather limited.
But the main reason for his failure to succeed as a professional artist was his
inability to diversify, perhaps because of an unwillingness to compromise, in a
provincial environment which demanded a variety of skills. Had he ventured
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