The Life of Emma Soyer
Elizabeth Emma Soyer, born in London in 1813, was an English painter known as Emma Jones or Emma Soyer. From a very early age, she became a pupil of the Belgian painter François Simonau, who married her mother. Under his instruction, she developed a talent for drawing and had drawn more than a hundred portraits from life before the age of twelve. She was also a talented pianist under the tutelage of Jean Ancot.
In 1837, she married Alexis Soyer, the first senior chef at the Reform Club. Following her marriage, she turned her attention to portraits in oil. Alongside Simoneau, she travelled through provinces including Canterbury, Ramsgate, and Shrewsbury. Her works were exhibited at various venues, including the Royal Academy, the British Institution, and the 1842 Paris Salon.
Artistic Works and Legacy
Soyer produced several notable paintings, such as "The Blind Boy", "The Crossing Sweeper", "The Bavarians", "Taglioni", and "the Kentish Ceres". Her final completed work was "The Two Organ Boys". Some of her pieces, including "The Jew Lemon Boys" and "The English Ceres", were engraved by Gérard. One of her works, "The Young Savoyards Resting", earned her the name "the English Murillo".
Soyer died in London in 1842. Her portrait of Alexis Soyer is held in the collection of the Reform Club. Additionally, a painting of two black girls in a tropical landscape is on long term loan to the Tate Britain.
