Eleanor Vere Boyle
Eleanor Vere Boyle (1825 – 1916) illustrated texts by some of the most popular authors of her time. It was seen as ‘unladylike’ for women of her social status to have a career. She therefore remained anonymous, signing her illustrations with her initials, ‘EVB’.
Boyle illustrated nursery rhymes, fairy tales, poetry and prose. This exhibition shares drawings, paintings and never-before-seen pages from her sketchbooks. These reflect Victorian society’s fascination with nature, death and spirituality.
Content warning: child loss
“How hard it is… to be chained, fettered and imprisoned by the strong force of overpowering circumstance!” EVB
Eleanor Vere Boyle (1825-1916) was born into a wealthy land-owning family and therefore did not need to work. This meant she had time to practise her artistic skills, but formal training in the arts or a career of any kind would have been seen as inappropriate. As an aristocratic Victorian woman, she was expected to focus on her home and family.
Portrait of Eleanor Vere Boyle (c. 1845), Sir William Boxall, oil on canvas.
