Amelia Curran (painter) facts for kids

Amelia Curran (born in 1775, died in 1847) was a talented Irish artist. She was especially known for painting portraits of people.

Amelia Curran's Life and Art

Early Life and Important Friendships

Amelia Curran was the oldest child of John Philpot Curran, a well-known lawyer and clever speaker, and his wife Sarah Creagh. Her sister, Sarah Curran, was engaged to Robert Emmet, a famous Irish leader. Amelia grew up as a member of the Church of Ireland.

In 1810, Amelia met the famous writer William Godwin through her father. She also met Aaron Burr, an important American politician. Soon after, she became lifelong friends with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

In 1812, Percy Shelley visited Ireland. He was there to speak out against unfair British rules. During this time, he was introduced to Amelia's father.

Her Famous Portraits

Portrait of Percy Bysshe Shelley by Amelia Curran (1819)

Portrait of Claire Clairmont, by Amelia Curran

Amelia Curran later traveled to Rome, Italy. There, she became very close friends with Mary Shelley, who was Percy Shelley's second wife. They often wrote letters to each other.

In 1819, while in Rome, Amelia painted a portrait of Percy Shelley's three-and-a-half-year-old son, William. Sadly, William passed away from malaria shortly after this painting was finished.

Amelia painted Percy Shelley several times during his life. These paintings are very important because they are some of the few portraits of him made when he was alive. Many other artists, like Alfred Clint and William Holl, later copied her portraits of Shelley. People often notice that her paintings of Shelley have soft, gentle features. They also look a lot like a famous painting of Beatrice Cenci by Guido Reni, which was one of the poet's favorite artworks.

Amelia's 1819 portrait of Shelley was featured in a book called Women Painters of the World in 1905. Today, you can see this painting at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Amelia also painted a portrait of Claire Clairmont. Claire was Mary Shelley's stepsister. Amelia had known Mary and Claire since they were children, as she used to visit their home in London with her father. Besides portraits, Amelia also made copies of several Renaissance paintings of the Virgin Mary.

Later Life

In 1821, Amelia Curran moved to Naples, another city in Italy. While there, she decided to become a Catholic. The next year, she moved to Paris, France.

Amelia Curran returned to Rome in 1824. She lived there for the rest of her life. She passed away in Rome in 1847. Her funeral was held at the Church of St. Isidore, and the future Cardinal Newman led the service.

See also

In Spanish: Amelia Curran para niños