Arundel Castle

Sarah Louisa Kilpack (1839 – 1909)

Oil on board. Signed.

5¾” x 8¾” (14.7 cm x 22.2 cm)

Sarah Louisa Kilpack was born in Covent Garden, London, and lived above the family’s tobacconist shop in the heart of the bustling fruit, flower and vegetable market. Her shy personality meant she was often happy to stay indoors, drawing or playing the piano, and she quickly developed an impressive aptitude for both. Sarah Louisa’s family came to rely increasingly on the fees from her concerts, which also enabled her to travel. She became a highly accomplished painter of seascapes, coastal scenes and landscapes and drew inspiration from the sea and the sky and the sunsets and storms which she depicted so well. By the 1880s Sarah Louisa was earning about £500 a year from her painting. She produced many works for exhibition in London, notably at The Society of Women Artists, where she displayed more than 100 paintings between 1867 and 1909.