Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery is celebrating a new loan exhibit at the museum which has been made possible through the George Eliot Fellowship.
The Fellowship’s Portrait of George Eliot is on loan to the museum so it can be displayed for the benefit of visitors.
The portrait, which was discovered by Andrew Sim of Sim Fine Art, has also featured on the back of the Cambridge Companion to George Eliot, second edition.
Mary Anne Evans was born at South Farm, in Arbury, brought up at Griff House and went on to become an internationally successful writer.
The portrait will be displayed in the Museum’s gallery dedicated to her, until its new home at the Griff Visitor Centre is completed.
Cllr Brady Hughes, Portfolio Holder for Leisure and Health, said:
“Our town’s history runs deep, reaching back to the 12th century with the Abbey of Nuneaton.
“It didn’t just give our town its name, it shaped its early identity, influencing everything from education and community life to the development of the town itself.
“Moving from the medieval to the modern our town became known not only for industry but for creativity and George Eliot, born Mary Ann Evans was born here.
“Her novels, filled with compassion and insight, were inspired by the people and places of Nuneaton and in turn, put our town on the literary map.
“The museum celebrates all of that from ancient stone to printed page.’’
The portrait was revealed at a special event at the gallery which kickstarted the Fellowship’s Annual Study weekend which saw fans and students of George Eliot from far afield meet in the borough.
Event attendees included Nuneaton and Bedworth Mayor Cllr Bhim Saru, Cllr Hughes, Mr Sim, The Fellowship Council including President John Rignall, and Joy Redfern who led the project to acquire the portrait as well as members of the Friends of the Museum.
Mr Sim said:
“I bought it as an unattributed 19th Century portrait of an unknown woman, but my first thought was 'that's a young George Eliot' - a verdict now accepted by a number of the leading authorities.
“The most likely candidate for its painter is a picture restorer and artist called George Barker Jnr (1818-83), to who Eliot was briefly engaged in 1844.
“The portrait shows Eliot as a vivacious 25-year-old woman just beginning her life as a writer.
“It is honest about her physical features, unlike most of the depictions of her as a young woman, which attempt to disguise her profile and prettify her.’’
While at the Museum why not check out their temporary exhibitions, which includes Georgia O’ Keeffe’s photogravures and paintings by Maria Emilov.
Admission is free though donations are always welcome.
For opening hours, visit the Nuneaton Museum & Art Gallery webpage.