Where is this portrait displayed?

The work held at the National Portrait Gallery in London. It was bequeathed by Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke in 1911.

Who were Henry and Millicent Fawcett?

Henry Fawcett was a blind MP and Cambridge professor. Millicent Garrett Fawcett became a leader of the British women's suffrage movement, fighting for women's right to vote.

What style did Ford Madox Brown use?

Ford Madox Brown was associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement. This 1872 portrait shows his characteristic attention to detail and emotional depth in portraiture.

What makes this portrait historically significant?

It's a rare Victorian portrait depicting disability openly. Henry Fawcett was blind, and the composition shows his wife Millicent supporting him, reflecting their real-life partnership.

Where Is Henry Fawcett; Dame Millicent Garrett Fawcett?

British artist Ford Madox Brown painted this double portrait in 1872, capturing two of Victorian England's most influential liberal thinkers. Henry Fawcett sits in an armchair while his wife Millicent perches on its arm, leaning in toward him with her arm around his shoulder. The intimacy is striking for formal portraiture of the era.

Henry had been blinded in a shooting accident in 1858 but refused to let it derail his ambitions. He became the first blind Member of Parliament and served as Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge. Millicent acted as his guide and secretary, often taking notes for him in the House of Commons. She would go on to lead the women's suffrage movement, becoming president of the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies in 1897.

The painting was commissioned by Sir Charles Dilke, a friend and political ally of the Fawcetts. It now belongs to the National Portrait Gallery in London, where it serves as a rare example of disability represented in Victorian portraiture.