Catalogue Number
NMLH.2011.29.5
Object Name
Print
Title
'Mrs Wollstonecraft. Engraved By Ridley From A Painting By Opie'
People
Mary Wollstonecraft
Date
1796
Creator(s)
Ridley, William
Description
A black and white print portrait of Mary Wollstonecraft. She has long white hair, with a head scarf tied around the top of her head and is wearing a striped dress or blouse. Although the portrait is drawn from the side, her head is turned so she is facing the painter with a determined stare.
The engraving was based on an oil portrait of Wollstonecraft by John Opie, produced in 1791. This print was part of a collection of prints and ceramics donated to the museum in March 2011 by the family of the late Chartist historian, Dorothy Thompson.
Mary Wollstonecraft's publications on gender equality were revolutionary. Her ground breaking work 'A Vindication of the Rights of Woman', written in 1792, is considered one of the first feminist works in the English language. In it Wollstonecraft argued that the sexes are equal, but a lack of access to education resulted in women being subservient.
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