Jane Austen portrait highlights Sotheby’s English Literature & History Sale

The highlight of the Sotheby’s London English Literature & History Sale was a James Andrews’ portrait of leading novelist in the English language – Jane Austen. The sale was held on 10th December 2013. This portrait, one of the most instantly recognizable images in British cultural history has been handed down directly by the Austen family and appears at the auction almost 150 years since it was commissioned. The image has been reproduced innumerable times and has become the defining image of Austen, an engraving of which will appear on the new Bank of England £10 note from 2017 (the author’s bicentenary).

The portrait is in watercolour. It has rarely appeared in public, and has remained in the Austen family since it was painted.

Dr Gabriel Heaton, Specialist in Sotheby’s Books and Manuscripts Department commented: “Seeing the most famous image of Jane Austen, for the first time, in a domestic sitting room was an astonishing experience. This delicate watercolour is so much more than a piece of literary portraiture: it is part of our cultural history. The painting was commissioned for the first full-length biography of Austen, which was crucial in transforming her from a novelist into a national figure. The portrait gave readers an image with which they could identify and which even seemed to embody the character of her work. This is the most important likeness of Jane Austen ever likely to appear on the open market.”

The portrait was commissioned by Jane Austen’s nephew, Rev. James Edward Austen-Leigh in 1869 to accompany Memoir of Jane Austen, his hugely influential first full-length biography of the novelist.