Summary

Jane Austen is one of the most celebrated writers of all time, but with only a sketch drawn by her sister we have little idea of what she looked like. Specialist Austen biographer Dr. Paula Byrne thinks that this may be about to change – she believes that she’s discovered a portrait of the author which has been lost for nearly two centuries and may offer fascinating new insights into how Jane once lived and portrayed herself to the world… 

This historical detective story follows Paula’s quest to confirm that she really does hold one of the rarest literary portraits of all time. From eighteenth-century costume historians to the editor of Jane Austen’s letters, Paula must interrogate as many specialists as possible to build her case to prove that this really is Jane. Will the picture stand up to forensic analysis by three of the world’s most prominent Austen experts? And if it does, how might it change our perception of one of the world’s greatest writers?

Jane Austen: The Unseen Portrait? follows the compelling investigation behind the art work that made global newspaper headlines when it was revealed for the first time in December 2011.