Caroline Chisholm Behind Glass

This portrait celebrates Caroline Chisholm (1808-1877), a social reformer known for her support for young female immigrants and family welfare. The artwork is part of a series called Lost Figures, using frosted or bevelled glass to present obscured figures as forgotten or abstract and providing an alternative to presenting historical figures in public art.

Caroline Chisholm was in regular contact with Charles Dickens, her stories of Sydney inspired a number of important characters in Dickens Novels. In Dicken's novel Bleak House the character of Mrs Jellyby is said to be an amalgamation of three women of the period, including Caroline Chisholm.