Exhibition celebrates life and work of Charlotte Bronte

An exhibition celebrating the life of Charlotte Bronte opens at the National Portrait Gallery today.

It includes portraits, personal belongings and manuscripts belonging to the eldest of the three Bronte sisters to mark the 200th anniversary of her birth on April 21st.

"Celebrating Charlotte Bronte", which runs until August 14th, celebrates one of the most celebrated authors of the 19th century. Her novels, which include "Jane Eyre" (1847), "Shirley" (1849) and "Vilette" (1853) continue to capture the imaginations of readers today.

The display explores Brontë’s life and literary career through portraits and includes treasures on loan from the Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth.

Central to the display will be the presentation of new research into the only surviving painted portraits of Charlotte with her two sisters, Emily and Anne, by their brother Branwell, in the Gallery’s Collection. This will explore the intriguing story of its discovery folded on top of a wardrobe, subsequent acquisition by the Gallery and its restoration.