[Beffin, Sarah] | An accomplished self-portrait "Painted by herself without hands"

[Beffin, Sarah]

"Miss Biffin. Painted by herself without hands. 1842."

Painting in gouache (295 x 224 mm), signed and dated by Beffin; not examined out of frame, small accretion to upper right corner. Matted, framed and glazed with Plexiglas. 

A fine self-portrait from one of the most accomplished —and incidentally armless — artists of her time

"Sarah Beffin (Biffin, Biffen, Beffen) (1784-1850) was the best, most famous, and most important armless artist of her day, as attested by an exceptional gathering of broadsides and prints as well as original drawings, holograph letters, and a fine gouache self-portrait. Biffin created her drawings and paintings with her brush resting on her shoulder and controlled with her mouth." (Exemplars) 

REFERENCE:

Exemplars, p. 240; LP&FW, pp. 63-67, 184