Catherine Madox Brown


Catherine Madox Brown Hueffer, also known as Cathy, the first child of Ford Madox Brown and Emma Hill, was an artist and model associated with the Pre-Raphaelites and married to the writer Francis Hueffer.

Early life

Born out of wedlock to Ford Madox Brown and Emma Matilda Hill on 11 November 1850 in London, Catherine was named after Emma's mother. Emma and Catherine posed as the mother and child in Pretty Baa-Lambs. Catherine's parents married in 1853.

Marriage and family

She married Francis Hueffer on the 3 September 1872. They had two surviving sons, Ford Madox Ford born 1873 and Oliver Madox Hueffer, both writers. Their daughter, Juliet Catherine Emma, married Russian revolutionary journalist, whose son Frank Soskice became Home Secretary.
Emma left Catherine all of her property after her death in September 1890.
Francis Hueffer died in January 1899.

Artistic career

She began painting along with her half-sister Lucy Madox Brown, modelled and worked as an assistant under their father. Other female Pre-Raphaelite artists such as Georgiana Burne-Jones, the sister of Thomas Seddon and Marie Spartali Stillman also took lessons in the same studio.

List of works

Portrait of her father Ford Madox Brown at the Easel, watercolour, 1870.
At the Opera, watercolour and pencil, 1869.
Wandering Thoughts, watercolour heightened with bodycolour, 1875.
Portrait of Laura, wife of Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, watercolour, 1872, 50.8 x 33 cm, Exh. The Fine Art and Antiques fair Olympia, London, 2000 by Campbell Wilson.

Work and portraits