Penelope Boothby | |
|---|---|
 Penelope Boothby in 1788 on a painting by Joshua Reynolds | |
| Born | 11 April 1785 |
| Died | 13 March 1791 (aged 5) |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Model |
Penelope Boothby (11 April 1785 – 13 March 1791) was a girl who has become one of the most famous child characters in British art. Her image inspired the paintings by Joshua Reynolds, Henry Fuseli, John Everett Millais, a sculpture by Thomas Banks, photographs of Lewis Carroll, sonnet of Brooke Boothby.[1]
According to art historians and historians, in the art of the 19th-20th centuries Penelope Boothby became a classic child of the Romantic era, the keeper of heavenly innocence, a symbol of “what we have lost and what we are afraid to lose.”[1] The image of Penelope was actively exploited by popular culture throughout the 20th century.[2]
- ^ a b Mitchell, Rosemary. "Boothby, Penelope (1785–1791)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
- ^ Warren, Richard (24 September 2012). "Moppets, muffets and the perpetuation of Penelope Boothby". Richard Warren. Retrieved 5 February 2017.