A Bonnet inspired post for Easter Sunday, 12th. April 2020 – that proves that the style of hat worn by Emily Brontë in a portrait by elder sister, Charlotte – was around even before the Brontës sisters came into being; the ‘Pamela Bonnet’ is 18th century.The ‘Pamela Hat’ Portrait pose also predates the Brontë sisters; a couple late 18th century ‘Pamela Hat’ style portraits can be viewed – HERE and HERE —— and here…

“The Chapeau à la Paméla, Pamela hat or Pamela bonnet described a type of straw hat or bonnet popular during the 1790s and into the first three quarters of the 19th century. It was named after the heroine of Samuel Richardson‘s 1741 novel Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded. While Pamela hats and bonnets underwent a variety of changes in shape and form, they were always made from straw. The mid-19th-century version of the Pamela hat was a smaller version of an early 19th-century wide-brimmed style called the gipsy hat.”

Excerpt above from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 

The portrait on the left is a miniature version of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ type —— of Emily Brontë, circa 1830. The Portrait on the left is Louisa Manners Tollemache, 7th Countess of Dysart, born 2 July 1745 – died 22 September 1840, aged 95. 

“The portrait of Louisa by Sir Joshua Reynolds was engraved by V. Green, and another by Hoppner, as a peasant, has also been engraved. Hoppner’s portrait was sold at Messrs. Robinson and Fisher’s rooms for 14,050 guineas on 27 June 1901. This portrait originally belonged to Louisa’s daughter, Lady Laura Tollemache, from whom it passed to Louisa’s granddaughter, Maria, Marchioness of Ailesbury, and finally came into the possession of the latter’s daughter-in-law, the Lady Charles Bruce, by whose executors it was sold.^[3] Thomas Lawrence‘s portrait of Lady Louisa was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1794.^[4] Louisa was a notable patron of John Constable, entertaining him at Helmingham, Ham House and London residences at Pall Mall and in Piccadilly. Constable’s letters make several references to Lady Dysart and he was evidently at ease with the family. Louisa employed his brother, Golding Constable, as gamekeeper at Helingham.^[1] Constable painted copies of Reynolds’ and Hoppner’s works, including a portrait of Louisa dated 1823.^[5] Others to derive works from Hoppner, Lawrence and Reynolds portraits of Louisa include Henry Bone, Charles Knight and Richard Smythe.^[6]“

Excerpt above from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The National Trust own a version of this very same ‘portrait type’ of The Right Honorable Lady Louisa Manners sporting a ‘Pamela Hat’ —— this time by John Constable RA – after John Hoppner’s original version. What is evidently clear is that this particular portrait type of Lady Louisa Manners —— was painted by several great artists of the period.

Please also see a Mezzotint of John Hoppner’s portrait of ‘The Right Honorable Lady Louisa Manners’ in the British Museum collection —— which again proves that the original portrait was reproduced as early as 1807: The term, ‘Mezzotint’ is an engraving developed in the seventeenth century which allows for the creation of prints.

In the National Portrait Gallery collection,there is a pencil drawing squared in ink for transfer, dated August 1823 – again featuring Louisa Manners 7th Countess of Dysart – by Henry Bone, after John Hoppner.

Returning to the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ of Emily Brontë – it stands to reason that Charlotte – who aspired to be a professional miniature painter from an early age, could conceivably have been drawn to the popular image of Lady Louisa Manners wearing a ‘Pamela Hat’ as a starting model for a portrait of her sister, Emily…

On the back of the miniature version of the ‘Bonnet portrait’ there is a rough pencil outline tracing; something it has in common with an authenticated artwork by Charlotte in the Brontë Parsonage Museum collection, as stated in ‘The art of the Brontës’ —— 

All three versions of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ – when turned to the light —— appear to have exactly the same finish…In light of these highlights —— I think it is highly improbable – that these three portraits of One subject – were painted by three different hands; especially as Charlotte was well versed in the use of Gum arabic – a transparent glaze applied to areas of shading to achieve greater depth and richer tone. 

The two larger versions of the ‘Bonnet’ share exactly the same proportions – only the paper size differs. The version on the right-hand side above – is actually on card.

Charlotte Brontë rarely drew from life – but what she did do was copy engravings then made them her own. I propose that the portrait of Lady Louisa Manners – was the inspiration for Charlotte’s earliest portrait of her sister, Emily. Only the cloak wrapped around Emily’s shoulders differs from the original ‘type’. For an outdoorsy person like Emily, a thick cloak was entirely appropriate attire —— and besides, it’s the job of a sensitive portraitist to not only capture a fair likeness of the person but also their essence.

It would seem that the main sticking point where the Daguerreotype of the Brontë Sisters is concerned is Emily’s hat choice again! I actually think that if one compares the largest of the ‘Bonnet’ portraits with the figure alleged to be Emily in the Daguerreotype – there’s a certain likeness, save for Emily’s “tight curl and frizz” that is…

Ellen Nussey, lifelong friend of the Brontës, wrote of her first impressions of the fifteen-year-old Emily: “Emily Brontë had by this time acquired a lithesome, graceful figure. She was the tallest person in the house, except her father. Her hair, which was naturally as beautiful as Charlotte’s, was in the same unbecoming tight curl and frizz, and there was the same want of complexion. She had very beautiful eyes – kind, kindling, liquid eyes; but she did not often look at you; she was too reserved. Their colour might be said to be dark grey, at other times dark blue, they varied so.”

To round off —— a recent episode of BBC ‘Flog It!’ featured a beautiful, enamelled antique brooch in the style of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ – which goes to prove how popular this particular ‘portrait type’ was in the late 18th century and first half of the 19th…

In fact, it’s true to say a straw hat by itself is timeless – it’s only the ribbon or scarf tied under the chin —— that dates it.

---

Addendum 15th. April 2020.

Howzabout this for ‘coincidence’; Charlotte Brontë makes mention of the very novel ‘Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded’ by Samuel Richardson in the very first chapter of ‘Jane Eyre’ – which proves beyond all doubt that the author of ‘Jane Eyre’ was familiar with the very novel whose heroine gave name to the ‘Pamela Hat’ —— as worn by Lady Louisa Manners Countess of Dysart, 1821 – and later, by her sister, Emily —— circa 1830, aged roundabout twelve.

---

To read about the influence of ‘Pamela’ in ‘Jane Eyre’ please use this link to The British Library – then see sub heading: ‘Pamela in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre’ 

“Pamela continued to be popular and influential well into the 19th century. Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre alludes to Pamela early on, when Jane reads it as a young girl at Gateshead. This conscious reference invites the reader to compare and contrast the two plots which, as Jane Eyre unfolds, become more apparent…” 

---

Update.‘Some Bonnet and Black Hat Good Vibrations: The ‘Wood-Nymph’ by Samuel Woodforde’ —— brings ‘A Bevy of Bonnets for Easter Sunday: ‘The Pamela Hat.’ up-to-date, use this link to read on. . .

Some Bonnet and Black Hat Good Vibrations: The ‘Wood-Nymph’ by Samuel Woodforde.