2014 Articles

Fanny Eaton: The 'Other' Pre-Raphaelite Model

Ferrari, Roberto C.

This article traces the life of Fanny Eaton (1835-1924), the mixed-race Jamaican-born daughter of a former slave, who emigrated to London and became a model for painters in the Pre-Raphaelite circle during the 1860s. Her mixed-race status made her an exotic in the theatrical sense, allowing her to adopt different guises as subjects in their paintings, and offer an alternative form of the Pre-Raphaelite 'stunner.'