After reading yet another book about Charles Dickens, I was compelled to revisit this painting—because I had had no idea that his daughter Kate posed for it. His children, from all I've read, didn't have an easy time of it. But Kate, who was apparently his favorite, must have been resilient. She became an artist as well as an artist's model, and lived to nearly 90.
So here's a quiz, for those of you who closely follow our presentations about historic dress. What's odd in this picture—the description at the museum (please click on link below) offers a clue—and how would you explain it?
John Everett Millais, The Black Brunswickers, 1860, Lady Lever Art Gallery, part of the National Museums Liverpool (the image here is courtesy Wikipedia).
