36 The Museum Gazette 



FAMOUS WOMEN AT THE NATIONAL 

 PORTRAIT GALLERY. 



We have climbed to the third landing. Let us turn into 

 the left-hand gallery and we shall come to one of the most 

 interesting groups in the whole Museum. 



It is that which contains portraits of English women whose 

 names have become famous in literature. Here we have 

 Mrs. Browning, Sarah Austin, Mrs. Carter, Miss Strickland, 

 George Eliot, Mary Somerville, and many others. The 

 collection is not nearly so complete as could be wished — for 

 Jane Austen, Anne and jane Taylor, Hannah More, the 

 Brontes, and many others are wanting — still, it is very good. 

 But few males are admitted. Robert Browning is very 

 properly allowed to accompany his wife, and the fact, we pre- 

 sume, that his wife was with him, has also gained access 

 for Thomas Hood. A portrait of Lady Hamilton strikes us 

 as a little out of place, but the Museum has as yet no depart- 

 ment for female charm, and as this is by Romney it may 

 have been difficult to refuse it. With the exception of it and 

 one of Elizabeth Fry, all the others have more or less direct 

 claim to be associated with literature or science. To Mrs. 

 Opie, Mrs. Browning and Miss Strickland no one will 

 hesitate to accord the praise of good looks, and many others 

 exhibit in a remarkable degree the bright-eyed intelligence 

 which we expect from authoresses. Several show a splendid 

 breadth of forehead, the accompaniment, no doubt, of a 

 brachycephalic or broad head. Mrs. Carter, Miss Mitford (of 

 " Our village"), Mrs. Trimmer, Miss Strickland and George 

 Eliot are the best, but not the only instances of this. It might 

 be hardly good manners to describe too exactly the various 

 features of feminine faces, and the fact that but few show 

 the profile makes it difficult to judge accurately as to size and 



