Sarah Biffin, Mrs Wright
Sarah Biffin, Mrs Wright, 1784 - 1850. Artist (Self-portrait)
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National Galleries of Scotland collection. Photo, National Galleries of Scotland.
Sarah Biffin, Mrs Wright, Sarah Biffin, Mrs Wright, 1784 - 1850. Artist (Self-portrait)
About this artwork
This miniature self-portrait by the artist Sarah Biffin, also known by her married name, Mrs Wright, bears the following inscription on the back: ‘Painted by Mrs Wright – born without hands or feet’. It is a remarkable and incredibly detailed portrait by a courageous woman, who taught herself to sew, write and paint using only her mouth to steady her needle or brush. This miniature measures just over 10 cm in height and has been painted in watercolour on paper. Like many portrait miniatures, it is set in a gilt-metal frame and has a little eye for a chain, which would allow the owner to wear it like a piece of jewellery.
Updated February 2022
- Artist:
- Sarah Biffin, Mrs Wright (1784 - 1850) English
- Title:
- Sarah Biffin, Mrs Wright, 1784 - 1850. Artist (Self-portrait)
- Date:
- 1830
- Materials:
- Watercolour on paper
- Measurements:
- Height: 10.30 cm
- Object type:
- Decorative and applied art
- Credit line:
- Presented by Mrs Helen Godfrey in memory of her mother Mrs Daphne Foskett
- Accession number:
- PG 3348
- Depicted:
- Sarah Biffin, Mrs Wright
- Subjects:
- Portrait Miniatures
- Artwork photographed by:
- Antonia Reeve
True colours
Sarah Biffin, Mrs Wright
Sarah Biffin was born without hands, arms or feet and taught herself to paint by holding a brush between her teeth. Aged about thirteen, she was contracted to a travelling showman who persuaded her parents to allow her to tour the country. He exhibited her as a freak and a genius, and paid her a…
