Anne Killigrew did not, as far as we can tell, ever paint professionally. But she was no ordinary amateur artist. For her, painting was one element of the ‘sister arts’ of painting and poetry, a tradition which stretched back to antiquity, but which was particularly esteemed in Britain in the17th Century.
As the Greek poet, Simonides, said; ‘a poem is a speaking picture, a picture is a silent poem’. No British artist in the 17th Century practiced these ‘sister arts’ as successfully as Killigrew.
In fact, Killigrew probably saw herself as a poet first, and a painter second. The works seen here in this exhibition all relate to her interest in mythological subjects, in particular the story of Venus, and should be seen alongside her poems as part of a single creative act. Killigrew was a Maid of Honour to Mary of Modena, wife of James, Duke of York, and later Queen. Mary encouraged poetry and literature, creating a court in stark contrast to that of her priapic brother-in-law, Charles II.
We have no record of how Killigrew first studied her painting. But it is possible, given the similarities in their work, that she was taught or at least encouraged by Joan Carlile. They were both connected to the Court, and lived close each other near Whitehall Palace. Unfortunately, only four of Killigrew’s paintings are known today. Three were presented in our June 2019 exhibition in London, '“Bright Souls”: The Forgotten Story of Britain’s First Female Artists.' We have a good idea of what her lost works looked like from sources such as her poems, and hopefully more works will yet be found.
