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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

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“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.

Painting of a woman with dark hair, wearing a white dress, sitting in front of a window.
Painting of a woman with dark hair, wearing a white dress, sitting in front of a window.

Portrait of Eleanor Vere Boyle (c. 1845), Sir William Boxall, oil on canvas.