Secondary sourcePainting1797
Portrait of Mary Wollstonecraft
James Heath, after John Opie · 1797
An engraved oval portrait of Mary Wollstonecraft made after a painting by John Opie, used as the frontispiece to Godwin's memoir of her.
This engraved portrait of Wollstonecraft, used as the frontispiece to Godwin's memoir, shaped her public image after death.
About this source
What it is
This engraving by James Heath, made after a painting by John Opie, shows Mary Wollstonecraft in an oval portrait. It was created in 1797 and used as the frontispiece to William Godwin's Memoirs of his wife.
Why it matters
Portraits like this shaped how the public pictured Wollstonecraft after her death, at a moment when her reputation was being fiercely debated. Because it illustrated Godwin's biography, it became one of the most widely seen images of her, linking her face to the controversy over her life and writing.
- What impression does this portrait give of Wollstonecraft, and how might that compare with how her critics described her?
- Why might an engraving, rather than the original painting, have been chosen for a book?
- What choices did the artist make in posing and dressing the sitter?
This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Mary Wollstonecraft on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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BookPrimary source
A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Mary Wollstonecraft · 1792
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A Vindication of the Rights of Men
Mary Wollstonecraft · 1790
PaintingPrimary source
Mary Wollstonecraft
John Opie · 1797
BookPrimary source
Letters Written During a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark
Mary Wollstonecraft · 1796
Primary source
Memoirs of the Author of A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
William Godwin · 1798
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