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The coffin is held by two of the women; the bereaved cat owner holds a handkerchief to her eyes

1 print : etching and stipple, with watercolour ; image 27.9 x 58 cm

A funeral procession of elderly women with cats in their arms, following the coffin of a dead cat, in a churchyard. Coloured stipple engraving by J. Pettit after E.G. Byron, 1789.

Numerous details in the picture contribute to the narrative. The furnishings of the room include paintings, fine furniture and objects of virtù. On the floor is an issue of the St James's Chronicle (founded 1761; merged with The English churchman in 1843), a book entitled "Pride and poverty; or Tales from the heart" (not verified to be an actual published work), and a sewing bag: possibly the governess has been reading the St James's Chronicle (to her master?), reading the short stories "Pride and poverty" for herself, and sewing, until she had to vacate the chair for the visiting lady. Two servants of the rich man are shown, a maid bringing in the tea and a manservant leaving the room: both make expressions of disgust at the snobbish remarks which the man makes to his visitor behind his hand. On the right side, where the governess stands, there is a bird in a cage and a plant growing naturally in a pot. On the left side, where the snobs are seated, are a parrot uncaged on a perch and cut flowers in vases. According to the Oxford dictionary of national biography (s.v. Redgrave), the composition illustrates an unspecified literary work by (Samuel?) Johnson

Royal gallery of British art.

1 print : engraving ; platemark 35.7 x 50.6 cm

A rich man and a woman who has visited him for tea gossip about an impoverished gentleman's daughter who is present in his house as a governess: the visitor looks at the governess with a supercilious expression. Engraving by R. Hatfield, 1842, after Richard Redgrave, 1840.

1 print : lithograph, printed in colour ; image 49.5 x 22.3 cm

A woman who has lost her hair is standing in front of a mirror with a wig in her hands, there are bottles and potions on the table by her and a box on the floor at her feet. Colour lithograph, 18--.

1 print : mixed method, stipple, engraving and etching ; platemark 25.3 x 19.4 cm

An unmarried woman approaching middle age smiles seductively at the viewer as inwardly she considers her future with foreboding. Engraving by G. Kellaway, 1828, after T. Stewardson.

At the age of thirty-nine, Sarah Kowalski heard her biological clock ticking, loudly. A single woman harboring a deep ambivalence about motherhood, she needed to decide: Did she want a baby if it meant doing it alone? Once she revised her idea of motherhood, the answer proved to be a resounding Yes. She chose to conceive using a sperm donor - but her plan stopped short when a doctor declared her infertile. How far would she go to become a mother? Sarah catapulted herself into a diligent regimen of herbs, Qigong, and meditation in a quest to improve her fertility. Along the way, she delved deep into spiritual healing practices, facing down demons of self-doubt and self-hatred, and once again revising her vision of motherhood. A story of personal triumph and unconditional love, Motherhood Reimagined reveals what happens when we release what's expected - and embrace what's possible.

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A funeral procession of elderly women with cats in their arms, following the coffin of a dead cat, in a churchyard. Coloured stipple engraving by J. Pettit after E.G. Byron, 1789.

A rich man and a woman who has visited him for tea gossip about an impoverished gentleman's daughter who is present in his house as a governess: the visitor looks at the governess with a supercilious expression. Engraving by R. Hatfield, 1842, after Richard Redgrave, 1840.

A woman who has lost her hair is standing in front of a mirror with a wig in her hands, there are bottles and potions on the table by her and a box on the floor at her feet. Colour lithograph, 18--.

An unmarried woman approaching middle age smiles seductively at the viewer as inwardly she considers her future with foreboding. Engraving by G. Kellaway, 1828, after T. Stewardson.

Motherhood reimagined : when becoming a mother doesn't go as planned : a memoir / Sarah Kowalski.

The single woman / by Margery Fry.

Advice to single women / Haydn Brown.

Social insecurity : single mothers on benefit / Jane Streather and Stuart Weir.

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A funeral procession of elderly women with cats in their arms, following the coffin of a dead cat, in a churchyard. Coloured stipple engraving by J. Pettit after E.G. Byron, 1789.

A rich man and a woman who has visited him for tea gossip about an impoverished gentleman's daughter who is present in his house as a governess: the visitor looks at the governess with a supercilious expression. Engraving by R. Hatfield, 1842, after Richard Redgrave, 1840.

A woman who has lost her hair is standing in front of a mirror with a wig in her hands, there are bottles and potions on the table by her and a box on the floor at her feet. Colour lithograph, 18--.

An unmarried woman approaching middle age smiles seductively at the viewer as inwardly she considers her future with foreboding. Engraving by G. Kellaway, 1828, after T. Stewardson.

Motherhood reimagined : when becoming a mother doesn't go as planned : a memoir / Sarah Kowalski.

The single woman / by Margery Fry.

Advice to single women / Haydn Brown.

Social insecurity : single mothers on benefit / Jane Streather and Stuart Weir.

Stay in the know

Wellcome collectionWellcome Collection

Finding us:

Opening times:

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Wellcome collection