Jane Benham Hay

Who is Jane Benham Hay?

Jane Benham was a prominent female painter and illustrator of the Victorian period. She was associated with two important artistic movements of the mid-nineteenth century: the Pre-Raphaelite painters of Britain, and the Macchiaioli of Italy.

Jane Benham was born in London in 1829 to a family of iron and metal workers. She travelled to Munich in 1850 with her friend Anna Mary Howitt. Together, they hoped to engage in serious study of drawing and painting. After their arrival in Munich, it became clear to them that women would not be permitted to study at the Academy in Düsseldorf. Undeterred, they approached Wilhelm von Kaulbach, then the director of the Academy, and requested the privilege of private study in his studio. He agreed, and permitted them to work in his studio at liberty, although it is not clear how much formal instruction he gave them. Jane stayed in Munich until December 1850, when she was compelled to return to London. Anna Mary remained in Munich for two full years, returning to London in 1852. Upon her return, she compiled her diary and personal letters into a text, An Art Student in Munich, which was published in 1853 and reissued in 1880.