29 April — 8 June 2025
What a pity it is, Elinor,” said Marianne, “that Edward should have no taste for drawing.”
“No taste for drawing!” replied Elinor, “why should you think so? He does not draw himself, indeed, but he has great pleasure in seeing the performances of other people”
Cassandra was a talented painter, and the most famous pieces we know of are of Jane herself. The back of her wearing a bonnet when they were on holiday, and the sketch of Jane with her arms folded.
When the sisters lived at Steventon, they eventually shared their own dressing room upstairs with a middle window, and this is where Jane would write while Cassandra would draw.
The Art of Cassandra
This Art of Cassandra exhibition displays Cassandras’ art work that she copied from the books and prints shown alongside. This is how ladies were taught to draw.
It’s a wonderful that they can once again be displayed in the home where Jane, her mother, sister and Martha all lived happily together, and this is the most special one for me.
It is a drawing of two women together with the original work by Capriani. Cassandra left out the old man, who is off to one side, and drew the other two ladies. I think hers has the ladies even more beautiful.
In this print, Cassandra has copied a fashion plate of a lady in historical costume. As Jane gave her pieces of writing to her family and friends (now known as Juvenilia), Cassandra did the same with her drawings.
This one was give to a daughter of brother Charles.
Cassandra also sketched and painted their brother James, which looks so professional. When you see pictures of him, you see how flattering and accurate this piece is to how he looked.
There is a talk each day in the kitchen, and we were shown how ladies were shown to draw in the regency period to add to their accomplishments. Hands were the most difficult to draw, and you can see in one sketch how Cassandra has had a few attempts to get the hand right.
The curator of the display Janine Barchas said, “Not since Cassandra’s creative years in this very cottage have so many of her surviving artworks been gathered together in one place. Four of these were only recently discovered to exist among the possessions of Austen descendants.”
There are ten pieces of art on display, and six of them have never been shown in public. It is a simple, small display and very touching.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Art of Cassandra runs from 29 April — 8 June 2025
This exhibition is in the hallway of the house, just through the parlour, with the piece loaned from the Holborne Museum in Bath in the cabinet usually reserved for Jane’s letters.
Lovely Links:
The curator of the display, Janine Barchas, is holding a talk about The Art of Cassandra.
Sense and Sensibility is the festival for the month of May at the Jane Austen House Museum.
