Famous Women at the Portrait Gallery 37 



shape of nose and chin. Few are, in any sense, disappointing. 

 That of Mrs. Carlisle might have been kept back without loss, 

 since, if it is in the least true to life, it gives a too painful 

 sense of justification to the rumours of married unhappiness, 

 which were probably to a large extent unfounded. The 

 portrait of Sarah Austin, when old and ill, might also perhaps 

 be spared, since there is a very pleasing one of her in earlier 

 life. At any rate, the two ought to be placed together. 

 Declining, as we do, in reference to almost the whole, the 

 task of detailed analysis of features, we cannot, in the interests 

 of physiognomical research, exempt those behind which lay 

 the most profound intellect ever possessed by a woman. 

 Mrs. Carter in classical and literary attainments, and Mary 

 Somerville in the domain of science, must be accorded fore- 

 most places. Mrs. Browning is second, perhaps, to none in 

 depth of human sympathy and beauty of poetic expression ; 

 but if we estimate character by profundity of insight, we shall 

 probably accord to George Eliot amongst women much the 

 same position as that which Shakespeare holds amongst men. 

 We do not for a moment compare her with Shakespeare. 



Of George Eliot the Museum possesses three portraits. 

 Most fortunately, it has also one of her father. It would 

 add enormously to the value of portraits as a means to the 

 illustration of character, if we might always have associated 

 with that of a distinguished individual those of his parents, 

 and even of his brothers and sisters. The portrait of Robert 

 Evans (George Eliot's father) is a very pleasing one — a grave, 

 serious face, with a large Roman nose, well-formed lips and 

 chin, and a really magnificent forehead. The nose probably 

 gives a clue to his family descent. 



Of those of the authoress herself, the first, taken when she 

 was 23, by a lady friend (Mrs. Bray), is a poor work of art, 

 and exhibits a commonplace face, surmounted by a very 

 large rounded forehead. It is impossible to judge of the nose. 

 A second is of some years older, and is much better executed. 

 The forehead is still there, and the nose is shown of good 



