Journal

Branwell’s ‘Gun Group’ portrait – ? 1834
the National Portrait Gallery although a Daguerreotype photograph c.1851 of
the original work was discovered in 1989. 12 Arthur Bell Nicholls, Charlotte’s
husband, apparently considered the images of Charlotte, Branwell and Anne
poor likenesses and destroyed all but the hauntingly beautiful image of Emily.
Both paintings were found on top of a wardrobe upon Nicholls’ death in
1914.
The Bronte Sisters was originally an oil painting of the four Brontë siblings but
Branwell painted himself out before completing the picture, probably
because of the difficulty of creating an effective composition with four
people. William Gilpin’s concept of the picturesque was familiar to all the
Brontës and certainly influenced their landscapes. Perfect balance in
composition, according to Gilpin, was a group of three, not four.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s rather derogatory observation that The Brontë Sisters was a
‘rough, common-looking oil-painting…little better than a sign-painting as to
manipulation; but the likenesses were, I should think, admirable’ 13 was a little
cruel, considering it was an early attempt at portraiture by an immature,
seventeen-year old art student. What Branwell learnt from Robinson, apparent
in this painting, was the technique of first making an under-drawing in pencil
on to the canvas.
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