See the woman who likely inspired Lydia Bennet

The Jane Austen’s House Museum has acquired a portrait of the woman believed to be the inspiration for Lydia Bennet.

The museum announced Tuesday that it had acquired the only known portrait of Mary Pearson, who was briefly engaged to Austen’s favorite brother, reports the Guardian.

The portrait itself is a watercolor miniature that scholars believe was part of Pearson’s return to the marriage market after Austen’s brother broke things off — which coincides with the time during which Austen was writing Pride and Prejudice.

Learn more about the similarities between Pearson and Lydia Bennet in the Guardian.

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