the real jane austen a life in small things

There is also a silhouette, found in a family copy of Mansfield Park, believed to be of Jane (see image). The only other drawing known to be of Austen, also a watercolor by her sister Cassandra, is a lovely wash of blue in which Jane’s face is obscured by the angle and a large bonnet and her figure is obscured by her blooming dress (see image with the headline at the top). However, people who knew Austen said the image was not very flattering, and the version normally used in print (see image) was further altered by an illustrator to soften her features.

The image is based on a watercolor done by her sister Cassandra in about 1810. One observer, not necessarily friendly, used the metaphor of a fireplace poker to describe her, though it’s not clear whether that reference was to her ramrod shape or to the underlying iron of her personality.Īusten’s face in theory is one of the best known in the world, based on a somewhat cherubic image that has launched a thousand books-and will soon be imprinted on England’s ten-pound note. This made her tall for the age and typically spare. By analyzing an outer garment called a pelisse, known to have been Austen’s, and constructing a new one of the same dimensions, Davidson concludes that Austen was between 5 feet, 6 inches and 5 feet, 8 inches tall and she had a bust of 31 to 33 inches, a waist of 24 inches, and hips of 33 to 34 inches. Which is to say: We know fairly precisely her size and shape, but only a little of what her face looks like.Ī forensic analysis done by clothing expert Hilary Davidson in 2015 details Austen’s figure.

What did Jane Austen look like? No one really knows.

The real jane austen a life in small things