Emily Brontë watercolour coming to Haworth for the first time!

The Brontë Society and Brontë Parsonage Museum are absolutely delighted to share the acquisition of Emily Brontë's watercolour titled 'The North Wind'.

This watercolour was created in 1842 whilst Emily and Charlotte were studying at the Pensionnat Heger in Brussels. Charlotte mentions in her letters from this period that Emily had been taking drawing lessons and it is likely that she would have left some of her work in Brussels. 'The North Wind' is a rare example of early drawing by Emily and shows a girl with wind-swept hair, wearing a white dress with a beautiful blue cloak around her. 

The artwork was first mentioned in the Brontë Society Transactions in 1949 in a piece by Edith M. Weir, 'New Brontë Material Comes to Light: A picture attributed to Emily, letters from the Hegers'. 

'The North Wind' is also featured in 'The art of the Brontës' by Jane Sellars and Christine Alexander, where Emily's watercolour is described as having been passed from Louise Heger to English sisters Marion and Katie Douglas, who were pupils at the Pensionnat Heger after the Brontës. The watercolour was gifted alongside a lock of Charlotte's hair, a Brontë seal and essays by Charlotte and Emily. Marion Douglas' niece passed her Brontë relics to Brontë Society Member Mr W.R. Cunliffe, along with letters between the Hegers and Douglas. 

This artwork by Emily is a copy of an engraving by William Finden, after Richard Westall's 'Ianthe', based on Lady Charlotte Mary Harley. Finden's engraving was published as the frontispiece to Thomas Moore's 'Life of Byron' (1839) and can be found in 'Finden's Illustrations of the Life and Works of Lord Byron' (1833-4).

This rare artwork went to auction yesterday (27/03/2025), and after all these years it's wonderful that it's making its way to Haworth for the first time ever. We look forward to welcoming Emily's watercolour to the Museum, so watch this space for more information about its future display.

Acquisitions like this are only possible thanks to your donations. If you would like to donate to our acquisitions fund to support this rare work, or future items, you may do so here.