Sarah Biffin - With Persevering Talents — Disability Throughout History

I am perpetually amazed and delighted by the artistic expression of historical figures with disabilities that I have come across. Instead of staying out of the spotlight, as society wanted, they put themselves out for everyone to see. This post's talented subject, Sarah Biffin, painted many self-portraits that depicted her limb differences, among other portraits and miniatures. Though her the men in her life were rarely decent, she persisted in her talent and love for art while maintaining independence.

Sarah Biffin (sometimes spelled "Biffen" or "Beffin") was born on October 25, 1784 in East Quantoxhead, Somerset, England to a farming couple, Henry and Sarah (née Perkins). Her father later became a shoemaker. She was their third child of five and first daughter. She was born with a congenital condition called phocomelia, a rare condition in which limbs are missing or underdeveloped. The term comes from the Greek words for "seal limb" or "flipper." Some may be familiar with this condition due to the thalidomide scandal in the late 1950s/early 1960s, in which thousands of children were born with phocomelia (caused by maternal exposure to the drug thalidomide). In Sarah's case, almost two hundred years before the scandal, it was likely transmitted genetically as an autosomal recessive trait. Phocomelia syndrome can also, in severe cases, cause growth retardation, severe intellectual disability, craniofacial differences, organ malformations, and clotting dysfunction. It appears that only Sarah's limbs were primarily affected: she was born with no arms and underdeveloped legs. Her baptismal certificate recorded that she was "born without arms and legs." Her adult height only reached about 37 inches tall.

As anyone with a passing familiarity with disability history can guess, most children born at this time in this culture were not kept by their families. They often were sent away, if they survived at all, to insane asylums or poorhouses. Sarah's family was different, in that they kept their daughter home with them during her childhood. A couple sources claimed that their pastor assisted them in coping with Sarah's disability. Her parents treated her as a "fragile object" and did not expect her to be anything other than a lifelong burden to them. Another source did report that she was brought up "with much care and tenderness under the immediate eye of an affectionate mother." Sarah was described as "a dear little girl, with fair curls, blue eyes and a sweet disposition."

Sarah was, understandably, jealous of her siblings' physical freedom, so she began to plan for her life. She asked to be taught to sew with her mouth and was refused. She later wrote, "At the age of eight years, I was very desirous of acquiring the use of my needle; but my parents discouraged the idea, thinking it wholly impractical. I was not, however, intimidated, and whenever my father and mother were absent, I was continually practicing every invention, till at length I could, with my mouth – thread a needle – tie a knot – do fancy work – cut out and make my own dresses."

She was determined to not be a burden so, by the age of ten, she had taught herself to paint, draw, write, cut, and sew using her mouth. She sewed loops into the shoulders of her dresses to hold objects. Later she developed her technique from using her mouth to as follows: "...she wore a turban and was always seated on a sofa. Her paint brush was pinned to a large puff sleeve which covered the short stump of the upper part of the arm. She fixed and removed the paint brush with her teeth, when necessary to wash the brush. When painting she leant her right shoulder forward, almost touching the table. She declared that she considered that for painting she had the advantage of those who had arms, for surely it was easier to paint with a short brush than with a long stick!"

At the age of thirteen, Sarah was apprenticed to Emmanuel Dukes, who exhibited her in fairs and sideshows around England. It is unclear whether this was her and/or her parents' choices. People like her were then known as "curiosities." She was advertised as the "Eighth Wonder" and one poster depicted her as a limbless mermaid. Her words about this time conflict, in that she once indicated that Dukes and his wife treated her well while she lived with his family. Later she remembered her time touring negatively: "The result was by no means equal to the expectations raised, and fourteen years of my life thus passed away without any substantial benefits to me."

She was described as engaging and friendly, even in the face of curiosity, fear, and ridicule. Sarah held exhibitions, sold her paintings and autographs, and took admission fees to let people see her sew, cut, write, paint, and draw. Dukes had a standing bet with any onlooker that she could accomplish these tasks and, if she couldn't, he'd pay out 1000 guineas. Nobody ever won that bet. One newspaper reported, "So exquisite is that lady's touch that she can with ease tie a knot on a single hair with her tongue." She enjoyed drawing landscapes or painting portrait miniatures on ivory and was praised for her artistic skill. Beginning in 1804, she even took painting commissions. She signed many paintings with the phrase "without hands." Her miniatures were sold for three guineas (£169 or $203 in 2023) each, though Sarah received little of the money: as little as £5 a year (£804 or $968 in 2023).

Sarah performed regularly at the St. Bartholomew's Fair, one of London's most famous summer charter fairs that ran from 1133-1855. An advertisement for her was included in a 1799 etching by Thomas Rowlandson. In 1802, William Wordsworth attended and wrote a poem of his experiences, possibly also seeing Sarah perform while there. She also developed a writing relationship with Daniel Lysons, once writing him in 1810 that, "I feel wonderful pleasure in being exhibited and will go so far as to say I think it my duty."

*"Sarah Biffin at Bury Fair" by Frances Cooper, 1810*

Her career hit a turning point in 1808, when she was twenty-four years old. George Douglas, the 16th Earl of Morton, after seeing her at St. Bartholomew's, wanted to learn more about her. He wanted to see if she really could paint unaided, so he commissioned a miniature portrait of himself and took the painting home with him after each sitting. Once he was convinced, he sponsored her to receive formal lessons from a Royal Academy of Arts watercolorist, William Craig, her first ever official art instructor. Morton was able to get her prestigious patrons and encouraged her to set out on her own. Sarah was hesitant, but finally ended her contract with Dukes in 1813. She was able to live on her own with a manservant to carry her where needed.

Sarah's talent flourished and, in 1821, Sarah received a large silver medal from the Society of Arts for an historical miniature. The Royal Academy then regularly exhibited her paintings and the Royal Family even commissioned her to paint miniature portraits of them. She became an official artist in the court of the King of Holland. Thanks to Sarah's growing fame, she was able to open up her own studio in the West End of London. She was even mentioned by Charles Dickens in a few of his novels (though usually mocking her appearance) and in many memoirs, such as one by Julia Clara Byrne. Many other contemporaries wrote about her in various letters and literary works. In 1820, she was the subject of a mocking poem, "The Mermaid of Margate," by Thomas Hood. She painted portraits of many famous Victorians, including Ada Lovelace and Evelyn Boscawen. Sarah also painted many self-portaits, sometimes making her disabilities visible and sometimes not.

*A now-famous self-portrait painted in the early 1820s*

Sarah married William Stephen Wright on September 6, 1824, at the age of forty. He may have been a Royal Navy lieutenant or a banker's clerk (records vary). An American journal detailed every moment of the wedding ceremony: "Mr. W. was desired to hold the ring against the shoulder of the lady, and afterwards, having put it on a gold chain which she wore around her neck, it was placed in her bosom." It appears that Sarah and William separated within a year of their marriage, though the Evangelical Lutheran Intelligencer commented that, at the wedding, William "had long been attached to" her. He appears to have taken most of her money but agreed to pay her a small annual allowance of £40 (though how much he actually gave her is up for debate).

She first ran into financial trouble in 1827, when the Earl of Morton died. He had provided financial security as well as becoming a friend and confidante. Sarah was then a 43-year-old single female artist with disabilities who was dealing with decreasing eyesight and increasing frailty. Her manager embezzled and used up most of her money. She taught painting lessons to try to support herself and pay her debts. Sarah tried to renew her artistic success under her name "Mrs. Wright" and did exhibit at the Royal Academy in 1831 and 1832. By 1839, she needed to return to traveling and painting portraits. After several years of struggling, Sarah was awarded a Civil List pension of £12 (£1600 or $1900 in 2023) a year, helping her to retire to Liverpool in 1841. She one day hoped to travel to America but her health never allowed.

In 1847, supporters, including the merchant Richard Rathbone, did arrange a public subscription to financially aid her in her final years. They posted in a newspaper: "To those who have at any time whiled away their hour in her studio, listened to her anecdotes, joined in her cheerful laugh, or been impressed with admiration at her persevering talents, this appeal is more especially made, that by their contributions an annuity may be purchased for the support of her few remaining years."

Sarah even wrote to Charles Dickens for a donation, though he declined, on account "of the enormous number of similar application of which [he was] in continual receipt." Some celebrities did contribute, including Jenny Lind and William Charles Macready. In the financial papers filed, she insisted that both Dukes and her former husband had treated her well; she possibly wanted to maintain her genial public appearance.

*Sarah's portrait of Queen Victoria, 1848*

She continued to paint and even exhibited a portrait at the 1850 Royal Academy of Arts exhibition. Sarah died on October 2, 1850, in Liverpool, at the age of 66, and was buried in St. James's cemetery. The marker read:

“Few have passed through the vale of life so much the child of hapless fortune as the deceased: and yet possessor of mental endowments of no ordinary kind. Gifted with singular talents as an artist, thousands have been gratified with the able productions of her pencil! Whilst versatile conversation and agreeable manner elicited the admiration of all... Now no longer the subject of tears her conflict and trials are o’er, In the presence of God she appears on the calm of eternity’s shore.”

She fell into relative obscurity after her death, but just recently interest in her work has increased. A self-portrait, engraved by Robert William Siever and published in London in June 1821, was sold at Sotheby's in 1986 and then again in 2019 (from the collection of the late Dr. Erika Pohl-Ströher). It sold for £137,500 ($211, 600 in 2023). In July 2021, another painting sold for £65,520 ($78,121 in 2023). The first exhibition of Sarah's work in the last hundred years was held in 2022 at the galleries of Phillip Mould & Company. It was entitled Without Hands: the Art of Sarah Biffin. That National Portrait Gallery is due to display one of her self-portraits in its Inspiring People show in 2023. To view some more of her art, click here.

The art historian and portrait miniature specialist Emma Rutherford has said, “I think [her] portrait represents much of what we admire today—a person with disabilities far more talented than many of her contemporaries, who, on the whole, would have been men. She represents such strength in overcoming not only the prejudice that would undoubtedly have been shown towards a professional female artist but also towards someone who would have been viewed as a circus freak.” A modern-day artist with phocomelia, Alison Lapper, commented that, "She seemed to transcend her disability and almost convince people that this wasn’t what it was all about."

Most sincerely,

Christina

Media & Organizations of Interest

"Without Hands": The Art of Sarah Biffin edited by Emma Rutherford & Ellie Smith
YouTube playlist from the Sarah Biffin Exhibition by Philip Mould & Co. - includes the exhibition film, information on her painting and writing techniques, and more
The Mouth and Foot Painting Artists

Works Consulted

Alberge, D. (2022, May 22). ‘The lady without legs or arms’: how an artist shattered Victorian ideas about disability. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/may/22/the-lady-without-legs-or-arms-how-an-artist-shattered-victorian-ideas-about-disability?utm_source=mutualart

Audas, J. (2022, November 18). The remarkable tale of 1800s artist Sarah Biffin | The Arts Society. https://theartssociety.org/arts-news-features/remarkable-tale-1800s-artist-sarah-biffin?utm_source=mutualart

Barber, T. (2022, November 1). New book on Sarah Biffin—a 19th-century miniaturist who was born limbless—looks at the artist beyond the sideshow. The Art Newspaper - International Art News and Events. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/11/01/new-book-on-sarah-biffinan-19th-century-miniaturist-who-was-born-limblesslooks-at-the-artist-beyond-the-sideshow

Dennison, M. (2022, October 11). Sarah Biffin, Georgian miniaturist and disability pioneer. Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/7f547fdc-5557-4cd7-800c-8fdbab39828c

Dictionary of national biography : Stephen, Leslie, Sir, 1832-1904 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : (n.d.). Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofnati05stepuoft/page/19/mode/1up?view=theater

Joshua, E. (2021, July 5). Sarah Biffin: the celebrated nineteenth-century artist born without arms or legs | Art UK. https://artuk.org/discover/stories/sarah-biffin-the-celebrated-nineteenth-century-artist-born-without-arms-or-legs

Lochun, K. (2022, August 30). Sarah Biffin: the artist without arms who wowed Queen Victoria. https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/sarah-biffin-artist-miniaturist-life-legacy/

Matthew Burgos. (2022, November 2). ‘without hands’ exhibition honors sarah biffin in london, an artist born armless & legless. Designboom | Architecture & Design Magazine. https://www.designboom.com/art/without-hands-sarah-biffin-london-11-02-2022/

McGreevy, N. (2021, December 17). Miniature by Sarah Biffin, 19th-Century Artist Born With No Arms or Legs, Exceeds Estimates at Auction. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/miniature-by-sarah-biffin-19th-century-artist-born-without-arms-or-legs-outshines-estimates-at-auction-180979239/

Peacock, B. F. (2022, November 1). Without Hands: The Art of Sarah Biffin, review: the exceptional Victorian artist who painted for royalty. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/art/what-to-see/without-hands-art-sarah-biffin-review-exceptional-victorian/?utm_source=mutualart

Sarah Biffin. (n.d.). South West Heritage Trust. https://swheritage.org.uk/digital-exhibitions/sarah-biffin/

Sarah Biffin, Mrs Wright. (n.d.). National Galleries of Scotland. https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/artists/sarah-biffin-mrs-wright

Sarah Biffin: The Artist Who Painted With Her Mouth. (n.d.). Rejected Princesses. https://www.rejectedprincesses.com/princesses/sarah-biffin

Shaw, A. (2021, December 14). Rare watercolour by Victorian artist born without arms or legs could sell for up to £5,000. The Art Newspaper - International Art News and Events. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/12/14/rare-watercolour-by-victorian-artist-born-without-arms-or-legs-could-sell-for-up-to-pound5000?utm_source=mutualart

Sherwood, H. (2022, October 31). First show in 100 years of disabled Victorian artist Sarah Biffin opens in London. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/oct/31/first-show-in-100-years-opens-of-disabled-victorian-artist-sarah-biffin?utm_source=mutualart

The early life of painter Sarah Biffen. (2022, April 12). Untold Lives Blog. https://blogs.bl.uk/untoldlives/2022/04/the-early-life-of-painter-sarah-biffen-.html

Last Updated: 24 Sept. 2023

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