My latest ‘cloud-shaped’ train of thought happened because of an Instagram post —— posted by fellow ‘Bonneteer’, ‘EmilyInGondal’ —— on Wednesday, 11th November, 2020. Her Instagram post showcased an original artwork created by ‘EmilyInGondal’ titled, ‘NorthSea’ —— that featured at its core a ‘drawing’ by Emily Brontë called, ‘The North Wind’…
My initial reaction to the familiar face rising from the frothy “boundless main” – was the same as usual, that it’s the spitting image of ‘Velvet Brown’ played by Elizabeth Taylor!!!
I also had a fixed idea that it was in fact a self-portrait of Emily Brontë; I don’t know what gave me that impression? Other than, I think of Emily Brontë —— and I automatically think of Wuthering Wind!💨
Needless to admit, Charlotte’s section in ‘The art of the Brontës’ is my primary research resource; Branwell’s, Emily’s and Anne’s are secondary. That said, Emily’s ‘North Wind’ was strangely familiar but for the wrong reasons! However, through a series of Instagram exchanges ‘EmilyInGondal’ kindly ënlightened me thus…
“Although she has copied an engraving, I always thought she was channeling AGA queen of Gondal, later Catherine Earnshaw” ‘EmilyInGondal’.
Suddenly, the magic word “engraving” set me off on a new line of ‘cloud-shaped thinking’ —— a feeling akin to having a storm-force wind in my sails!!!
Emily’s ‘North Wind’ is copied from an engraving by William Finden (1787-1852) —— after an original Portrait of Lady Charlotte Harley (1801-1880) as Ianthe —— drawn by Richard Westall R.A.(1765 – 1836).
My obvious first port of call, was my go-to copy of ‘The art of the Brontës’ —— which immediately upheld the view shared by ‘EmilyInGondal’…
“Emily’s version, which was apparently named ‘The North Wind’, has a more mature, challenging expression than the original. Her eyes are piercing and have none of the wide-eyed innocence of Westall’s original. She has all the features of the first Catherine in Wuthering Heights, though she could equally well have suggested one of the heroines from the Gondal saga.”
‘The North Wind’ by Emily Brontë —— detail from ‘The art of the Brontës’ by Christine Alexander and Jane Sellars.
My second port of call was a flurry of Internet searches for Finden’s engraving —— and to see whether I could source a suitable copy for my research; this is my beautiful result!!!
It was at this point, I suddenly received a gusty blast from William Wordsworth —— that as I recall, came from a Westerly direction. It goes…
“I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o’er vales and hills. . .”
Yes——I thought! In essence, Wordsworth’s epiphanic lyricism could have been penned for Emily Brontë! It’s what Emily did; she “wandered lonely as a cloud”. It was a eureka moment for me! —— especially in light of the fact that I already knew that Wordsworth’s poetry was held in high esteem by all the Brontës.
Finden’s original engraving copied by Emily is ‘Ianthe’. And the thing about ‘Ianthe’ that instantly and metaphorically blew me away —— is the cloud-shape aspect! It’s not a white floaty ‘Wordsworthy’ type of cloud —— rather it’s a storm-grey nebulous that puts me in mind of the miniature-sized ‘Bonnet portrait’. If Emily Brontë were a cloud —— she’d be no fluffy white ‘cotton-top’; Emily would be a ‘Nimbus’!
‘Nimbus’ —— from the Latin for ‘dark cloud’. And not forgetting that ‘Brontë’ means ‘Thunder’!
It’s true to say, Finden’s ‘Ianthe’ combined with Emily’s ‘The North Wind’ —— got me charged again —— cloud-shape thinking about the significance(s) of the ‘Nimbus’ in the miniature ‘Bonnet Portrait’!
Did Wordsworth’s verse intermingle with Finden’s engraving of ‘Ianthe’ —— to serve as Charlotte’s inspiration for the inclusion of a ‘Nimbus’ around her first attempt at capturing mercurial Emily on paper? Particularly in light of the fact, that there are several authenticated artworks by Charlotte Brontë, as listed in ‘The art of the Brontës’ —— that confirm Charlotte used cloud-shapes as a way of embellishing some of her ‘head-and-shoulders’ subjects. . .
A postcard from bygone days of a ‘cloud-shaped’ “Portrait of a Young Lady” by Charlotte Brontë —— on display in “Charlotte Bronte’s Room, Haworth”. (circled in white)
Owing to its naivety in style, I believe that the miniature ‘Bonnet Portrait’ is the earliest version, circa 1830’s. A substantially larger —— later version – also sits atop a cloud, circa 1840’s. . .
‘The Baby Bonnet’ —— as I endearingly call it because of its diminutive size —— just 5 cms² —— came to my attention (by ‘chance’) from an art dealer who specialises in fine 18th and early 19th century antiques ONLY. ‘The Baby Bonnet’ is certainly no copy of the much later 1894 ‘Bonnet Portrait’ photogravure that appeared in the ‘Woman at Home’ —— titled; “EMILY BRONTË From a painting by Charlotte Brontë hitherto unpublished.”. . .
Again, one must return to Emily’s ‘The North Wind’ for clues. I note, it is in fact a watercolour —— and not a drawing as I first thought, owing to the small black and white image of ‘The North Wind’ in ‘The art of the Brontës’. Emily’s copy of ‘Ianthe’ is catalogued in ‘The art of the Brontës’ on p.386 —— where its joint-authors consider Emily’s source of inspiration for her copy, beginning “Emily probably made this painting. . .”
Extract from page 386 in ‘The art of the Brontes’ by Christine Alexander and Jane Sellars.
After reading the above —— and in the absence of Emily and Charlotte, it transpires that there is no certain answer as to the exact source of Emily’s ‘The North Wind’ —— other than it’s definitively copied from Finden’s engraving of ‘Ianthe’ after Westall’s original drawing.
However, where the source of Emily’s copy of ‘Ianthe’ is concerned in the context of today’s ‘cloud-shaped thinking’ exercise(s) —— I’d say that Emily and Charlotte were singing from the same hymn sheet —— because Charlotte copied three engravings that all appeared alongside Finden’s ‘Ianthe’ in the first volume of “The Poetical Works of Lord Byron, 8 vols (London: John Murray, 1839).” —— It makes sense, that the sisters had access to one and the same volume. Even if they didn’t, one can be certain that Charlotte intimately studied every line, every stipple of Finden’s engraving of ‘Ianthe’ —— because like Emily, she too lived and breathed the works of Lord Byron. Indeed, it was Lord Byron who personally commissioned Westall’s original portrait of ‘Lady Charlotte Harley’ —— so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Charlotte created a copy too that’s been ‘lost’; methinks I must keep my eyes peeled!
“IANTHE. (FROM THE ORIGINAL PICTURE PAINTED AT THE REQUEST OF LORD BYRON.”
As already established in an earlier post —— John Raphael Smith’s 18th century engraving of Samuel Woodforde’s ‘Wood-Nymph’ provides the main body of Charlotte’s portrait series of Emily; formally and collectively known as ‘The Bonnet Portrait’.
Hand-coloured stipple engraving of the ‘Wood-Nymph’ —— dated 1787. After the original painting by Samuel Woodforde R.A.
However, in Charlotte’s ‘head-and shoulders’ only portrait(s) —— the scenery is left out —— save for a hint of the original gathering storm… 
The storm-grey mass is condensed —— scaled down into a single, symbolical ‘Nimbus’!
‘Nimbus’ —— apart from ‘dark cloud’ in meteorological terms, also means ‘halo’ —— as in religious iconography.
Where as Emily’s rendering of ‘Ianthe’ has been scaled up into a tempest —— wannabe miniaturist, Charlotte has scaled down.
I think Charlotte’s gut response to the ‘Wood-Nymph’ as a suitable template for her miniature of Emily —— could be summed up in Charlotte own words:
“Ellis Bell did not describe as one whose eye and taste alone found pleasure in the prospect; her native hills were far more to her than a spectacle; they were what she lived in, and by, as much as the wild birds, their tenants, or as the Heather, their produce.”
The Wood-Nymph’s down-to-earth persona —— as in fetching a large bundle of sticks for the hearth —— belies that she is in fact a Fairy —— an Elemental no less. Emily’s wings were her thoughts —— and in that sense, she wasn’t chained to the Parsonage sink —— or range; Emily was no earthbound mortal either, she was a Mystic.
Perhaps Charlotte’s inclusion of ‘grey matter’ as opposed to a bundle of sticks —— is a visual representation of Emily’s infinite mind? It’s like a cushion —— a ‘seat of learning’ that holds Emily aloft. Charlotte undoubtedly idolised her “Genii” kid sister by putting her on a cloud; although evidently within the limitations of a small piece of artist’s card!!!
Just 5 cms² —— the diminutive ‘Bonnet Portrait’ beside a regular fifty pence piece for instant comparison.
Charlotte’s brushstrokes have metaphorically condensed Emily’s undying words into an art form —— before Emily had even penned them! “Thy spirit animates eternal years —— pervades and broods above, changes, sustains, dissolves, creates and rears.” ‘No Coward Soul Is Mine’ was written in 1846 towards the end of Emily’s life —— where as the ‘Baby Bonnet’ is circa 1830’s.
A slight personal digression now —— that’s pertinent in the greater scheme of this ëvaluation of the ‘Bonnet Portrait(s). . .
In my lifetime, I’ve only been airborne ‘once’ —— to Milan and back. I guess compared to some my carbon footprint is relatively low but that’s only because I’m easily adsorbed —— either in my own space or in the Great Outdoors —— and more often than not on foot. I’m a country-bred, home-bird for certain. In my not so worldly experience there are few things that come closer to pure reverential awe than watching a gathering storm —— and then getting ‘caught out’ in it! Another jaw-dropping, eye-popping, heart-stopping stimuli of ‘mine’ —— is night-walking under a cloudless, moonless sky and letting the Milky Way lead the way. In that way, Emily’s poetry is a calling; not to head in and bow my head and shut my eyes —— but to head out and gaze up —— and feel blessed; there’s no G—R—E—A—T—E—R benediction —— or affirmation that your ‘cloud’ will go on shape-shifting on the other side of Death’s door. . .
This farmhouse exposed on a windy ridge —— is my local setting for Emily’s ‘Wuthering Heights’! I always lean on the gate opposite and imagine…
In accordance with Emily’s faith —— the sky’s the limit; I believe it! And with no less conviction —— I believe that ‘The ‘lost’ portrait of Emily Brontë drawn by Charlotte —— as seen by Sir William Robertson Nicoll in Haworth in 1879.’ —— is found. I’m quite certain that if I wasn’t living a quiet, outwardly unexciting existence —— I’d never have stumbled on the ‘Bonnet’. To use an analogy – I also get my thrills from going ‘Shed Hunting’; if I don’t put in some serious groundwork I can’t hope to find an ‘eight-pointer’! And it’s the same with the ‘Bonnet Portrait(s)’. Although, I always get the strangest feeling when I’ve picked up a ‘Shed’ —— that it’s somehow been put there; as in some things are meant to be found.
In order that I might better understand Charlotte’s ‘Gipsy-Straw Portrait’ of Emily —— it’s essential I don’t get bogged down or sidetracked by a ‘small’ army of ‘Non-Conscientious Rejectors’ (NCR’s) —— who are utterly entrenched against the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ but without reason; simply not liking it isn’t a reason! And as for lack of provenance – I don’t think it’s acceptable to go on conveniently spouting the words of a long dead literary critic who guessed where the 1894 ‘Bonnet Portrait’ PHOTOGRAVURE is concerned. I utterly refuse to unquestioningly follow the Brontë Society’s same old, same old, party line that can’t (or won’t!) see passed or round a spurious ‘one-hundred-year-old’ black hole that’s decidedly Clement Shorter shaped! It’s completely incredulous to me how one man’s worthless opinion of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ COPY is valid or applicable to the original(s) now on’t table! ‘No matter’!!! —— with determination and fair winds on my side – I don’t see Shorter’s obstacle as something that can’t be got over or got round because I know that Truth will out eventually; this ‘Bonneteer’ isn’t for turning!. . .
Once upon a time, there must have been at least one ënlightened individual who worked in the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth —— who believed enough in the Society’s own ‘Sanguine’ version of the ‘Bonnet Portrait. . .
In days of yore! The Parsonage Museum first opened its door to the public on the 5th. August 1928
See ‘Emily’ on the back wall (left) —— proudly on display beside millionaire philanthropist, Henry Houston Bonnell (centre) —— who amassed a substantial collection of Brontë manuscripts, books, relics, letters —— and portraits. Following his death in 1926 he bequeathed his collection to the Brontë Society on the proviso that a Library could be formed that would meet international standards for security and conservation of these fragile documents. . .
Included in ‘The Bonnell Collection’, there are three individual, sanguine portraits of the sisters. Charlotte’s is after the famous ‘George Richmond’ portrait in the National Portrait Gallery —— and Anne’s after Charlotte’s own portrait miniature of Anne —— in the Bronte Parsonage Museum Collection. Neither appear to be on display in my ‘gift of a postcard’; just the ‘bloody’ Bonnet that will not be silenced for good reason!!!
The word ‘sanguine’ derives from ‘sanguineus’ —— Latin for “blood” or “bloody”!. . .
There’s such a look of admirable defiance about the Sanguine version of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’!
It remains a conveniently unanswered question as to why Emily’s sanguine portrait out of the ‘Set of Three’ —— remains the ‘Black Sheep’? The Truth exists —— enfolded in this drawing. . . 
From left to right the folds in the drapery spell-out: E.M.I.L.Y. —— could the artist have made identifying the sitter in this portrait anymore irrefutable! It’s ‘EMILY’ alright. And only Charlotte could have ‘signed’ this portrait in this unique steganographic style. For more clarity on this ‘hidden’ clue and others in Charlotte Brontës oeuvre —— please read my post “Spelling It Out; The Art of Steganography In The Art of Charlotte Brontë.”
And then there are ‘The Initials In The Eyes’ —— ‘E. B.’ for the sitter. Or are they ‘C. B.’ for the artist?
I’ve heard it said that I’m Brontë obsessed; I say not Brontë obsessed but Brontë possessed —— there is a subtle difference! I’m one-hundred percent certain that Charlotte Brontë is behind these portraits of Emily – so I appeal to those against ‘The Bonnet(s)’ —— not to shoot this messenger down in flames! “Vive le Chapeau de Paille!”; Bonneteering will continue unabated and undeterred!
Very few of Charlotte’s portraits include a background save for a pale wash —— which I note in several authenticated paintings and drawings —— take on a distinctly cloud-like shape. . . 
129. ‘Lycidas’ 111.‘Portrait of a young lady’ 138. ‘Welsh Peasants’ respectively —— from ‘The art of the Brontës’ Christine Alexander and Jane Sellars.
It’s no wonder then ——— Finden’s ‘Ianthe’ triggered my ‘cloud-shaped thinking’ again. . .
Emily’s tempestuous cloud-mass in ‘The North Wind’ is diffused at the edge —— whereas Charlotte’s ‘Baby Bonnet’ sits on a cloud that follows a more classical outline —— reminiscent of Finden’s engraving…
Another point that I note about Charlotte’s ‘Bonnet’ drawing and Emily’s ‘The North Wind’ —— is that they share the very same nose! Not like Ianthe’s nose (left) which is distinctly aquiline or ‘hooked’ —— but are identical as in they mirror one another. ‘The North Wind’s’ nose and the ‘Bonnet’s’ nose are One and the Same Nose! —— judge for yourself. . .
And the eyes of ‘Ianthe’ are much rounder than the other two pairs of faraway-looking eyes —— which are almond-shaped and wider apart between the brows and across the bridge of their noses. It’s no surprise then that after looking at the ‘Bonnet’ drawing in the unique and privileged way that I do —— that I’ve come to believe ‘The North Wind’ is Emily’s self-portrait; I stand by it! I even commented to @EmilyInGondal on Instagram – that I thought my view of ‘The North Wind’ was the general view —— see comments! And so I’ve come full circle —— back to where I started this cloud inspired post; ‘Portrait(s) of Emily Brontë; She Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.’ 💨
This post is dedicated to EmilyInGondal —— not just because her artwork titled, ‘NorthSea’ —— got me ‘cloud-shape thinking again’ about the ‘Baby Bonnet’; Or that she has gifted me a precious copy of ‘NorthSea’ to help with my research; It’s also because —— if my ‘Bonnet Portrait’ research can alter the colour of the mind of One exceptionally well-read Brontëite —— then that gives me hope that others too will one day see the sense in it all!🤞🏻
Meantime. . .
“We’ll Keep Calm and Carry On Bonneteering” —— another ‘cloud-shaped’ idea of mine! Inspired by this original early 19th century drawing, ‘The Ballad Seller’ circa 1840’s —— that’s also quite possibly a drawing by Charlotte. Click this LINK for more on this portrait. . .
Charlotte Brontë’s eponymous heroine ‘Shirley Keeldar’ perhaps? Complete with Shirley’s —— or is it Emily’s “gipsy-straw”¹? (1. Chapter XXII ‘Shirley’.)
Finally, my third and final faith —— ‘times by three’! I truly don’t believe these nine original drawings and paintings have been gathered together by pure chance alone. They are chronologically ordered in the sequence that they came to light, one at a time. From ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ (left) in 2008 —— through to another version of the ‘Bonnet Portrait’ in 2020 (right).
Where the ‘Bonnet Portraits’ are most particularly concerned —— I think it is utterly nonsensical for the NCR’s to suggest that they’re copies of a copy; they’re all much earlier than the figure in the 1894 photogravure. The drawing and paintings that I have researched were created in a time l——o——n——g before ‘Google Images’ was invented!!!
One thing that can’t be disputed —— is that after twelve years they have created an Ë-normous ‘Cumulonimbus’ body of research that can be accessed under the menu header —— ‘Emily_Bronte_In_The_Frame’ at the top of this page. . .
As per usual, I like to finish with a YouTube video – of a song that’s provided a soundtrack to my writing and blogpost compilation. Only this particular song ‘To Be A Pilgrim’ has been a favourite soundtrack for much longer than that; I’ve always loved this hymn since my earliest memories of school assemblies – and this particular performance is ‘top of my pops’. . .
Since my ‘Brontë Awakening’ in 2013 —— and my ‘Bonnet Awakening’ in 2016. . .
‘BronteLand’ by EmilyInGondal
I often get the strangest feeling that I’m in a sort of modern-day spin-off of the ‘The Pilgrims Progress’ —— only this isn’t John Bunyan whose dictating the pace here —— it’s Charlotte Brontë!!! She wants her ‘lost’ portraits returned to the ‘Celestial City’. . .
Only in this Pilgrim’s ‘progress’, this Bonneteer and fellow ‘Bonnet’ protagonist, Professor Christopher Heywood – have been repeatedly turned back at the ‘Hill of Difficulty’!!! Of course —— there’s no discouragement, that shall make us relent, our first avowed intent is to ‘Keep Calm and Carry On Bonneteering’. . .
Be sure to play ichingiching to the very end; ‘To Be A Pilgrim’ is not over til it’s over. . .