Lucy Madox Brown Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Lucy Madox Brown
1874 portrait by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Born	Lucy Madox Brown (1843-07-19)19 July 1843 Paris, France
Died	12 April 1894(1894-04-12) (aged 50) Sanremo, Italy
Nationality	British
Movement	Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Aesthetic Movement Arts and Crafts Movement
Spouse(s)	William Michael Rossetti

Lucy Madox Brown Rossetti (born July 19, 1843 – died April 12, 1894) was a British artist, writer, and model. She was connected to the Pre-Raphaelites, a group of artists. Lucy was married to William Michael Rossetti, who was a writer and art critic.

Early Life and Education
Marriage and Family Life
Artistic and Writing Career
Later Life and Death
List of Works
Work and Portraits
Exhibitions
See also

Early Life and Education

Lucy Madox Brown was born in Paris, France, in 1843. Her parents were Ford Madox Brown and Elizabeth Bromley. Sadly, her mother died when Lucy was only three years old.

After her mother's death, Lucy went to live with her aunt in Gravesend, Kent. In 1856, she moved to London to live with the Rossetti family. Her future sister-in-law, Maria Francesca Rossetti, helped teach her. Lucy was known for her strong mind.

Marriage and Family Life

William Michael Rossetti, by Julia Margaret Cameron

In the summer of 1873, Lucy got engaged to William Michael Rossetti. They were married on March 31, 1874. William's family included his famous siblings: Maria, Dante Gabriel, and Christina.

After their wedding, Lucy and William went on their honeymoon to France and Italy. They first tried living with William's family. However, because of different beliefs about religion, they soon moved into their own home in London.

Lucy and William had five children together. Their first child, Olivia Frances Madox, was born in 1875. Then came Gabriel Arthur, Helen Maria, and twins Mary Elizabeth and Michael Ford. Sadly, Michael died when he was a baby. Lucy and William chose not to baptize their children. The children were taught at home by their mother and other teachers.

Their daughter Olivia later married an Italian man and moved to Italy. She became a translator and writer. Gabriel Arthur, known as Arthur, became a scientist. Helen became a painter of tiny pictures called miniatures.

Artistic and Writing Career

The Duet by Lucy Madox Brown (1870)

Lucy started painting in 1868. She worked with her father, Ford Madox Brown, and her half-sister Catherine Madox Brown. Other female artists also took lessons in the same studio.

Lucy mainly used watercolours for her paintings. She showed her art in galleries from 1869 to 1872. Her painting, The Duet, was shown at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1870. Another artist, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, called it a "perfect picture." Lucy stopped painting in 1874.

Besides painting, Lucy also wrote a book. She wrote a biography about Mary Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein. Lucy's book was called Mrs. Shelley and was published in 1890.

Later Life and Death

From 1885, Lucy suffered from a serious lung illness called consumption (tuberculosis). To help her health, she often traveled to Italy during the winter months. Her illness made things difficult between her and William.

Lucy passed away on April 12, 1894, in Sanremo, Italy. She was with her husband and daughter Olivia. Lucy was buried in La Foce Cemetery. In her will, Lucy left everything to her children.

List of Works

The Duet, 1870. Exhibited at the Royal Academy.
Romeo and Juliet, 1870, Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton, UK.
Study for Romeo and Juliet, 28 x 33.6 cm, chalk on paper.
The Tempest, c. 1870, oil on canvas, private collection.
Après le Bal, 1870, watercolour, private collection.
The Magic Mirror, 1872, private collection.
Margaret Roper Receiving the Head of her Father 1873, oil on canvas, St Thomas More, Burford.