defied disabilit y

SOMEWHERE in the shadow of Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral lies Sarah Biffin, whose talent as an artist saw her work exhibited alongside the greatest painters of her day despite being born without hands or arms

Born in 1784, the adult Sarah would grow to only 37 inches in height, with limited use of her legs and feet, her disability the result of a condition later recognised as phocomelia

But from an early age she refused to allow disability to get the better of her, using her mouth and shoulders to become an expert in needlework and develop a passion for art However, such a young woman was vulnerable to those who might seek to exploit her circumstances, and at the age of 12, Sarah’s family apprenticed her to a travelling artist called Dukes, who agreed to develop her artistic skills

In return, she found herself tied to a 16-year contract, which involved exhibiting her talents in a freak show Sarah ended up in her own show booth, alongside the Fat Woman, the Human Skeleton, and the PigFaced Lady, where she signed autographs and painted delicate and beautiful miniature landscapes

Dukes charged admission fees for people to watch her sew, paint, and draw, but she also held her own exhibitions, at which she sold her paintings and signatures

Sarah also drew landscapes and painted miniature portraits on ivory, which were sold for three guineas each But none of the money she earned was paid directly to her; it all went to Dukes who became very wealthy because of the diminutive artist Sarah was only paid £5 a year by him

However, in 1812, her contract expired and so she was able to escape Dukes’ clutches Sarah immediately made her way to London determined to seek her fortune

Here, she set up a studio in Bond Street where she quickly became a popular, fashionable, and highly-respected celebrity

At last she had a comfortable and secure life In 1821, her talent was officially recognised when she was presented with a medal by the Society of Arts

She was also patronised by King George III, George IV, William IV, Queen Victoria, and many other titled and illustrious patrons, including the King of Holland, and her work

SARAH lies buried in St James’s Burial Ground, at the foot of Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral, but I cannot trace where, exactly, her grave site is located And I really have searched! However, supposedly inscribed on her tombstone, are the following words:

DEPOSITED BENEATH are the remains of SARAH BIFFIN who was was shown at the prestigious Royal Academy of Arts

But Sarah wanted to improve her fortunes further To do so she recognised that she really should travel to the place that was already being hailed as “the most important town in the British Empire” outside London

So in 1842 she came to Liverpool Now 58, Sarah held many exhibitions in the town, including one at the Collegiate School in Shaw Street, Everton

She continued to paint famous people, including the virtuoso violinist Paganini, on one of his many visits to Liverpool; and Charles Dickens, who refers to Sarah in his novels, Including Nicholas Nickleby and Martin Chuzzlewit

Sarah finally settled at number 8 Duke Street in the town, and continued to sell her paintings

But fashions change and her fortunes waned Money ran out, and she became

DISABLED artist

Sarah Biffin’s extraordinary life took her from freak show novelty to an artist feted by kings, who at the height of her fame chose Liverpool to ply her trade and live out her days under the wing of a famous city family

Born Without Hands Or Arms

Few have passed through the vale of life so much the child of hapless fortune as the deceased, and yor possessor of mental endowments of no ordinary kind

Gifted with singular talents as an artist, thousands have been gratified with the able productions of her pencil, while her versatile conversation and agreeable manners elicited the admiration of all dependent on a pension of £12 a year that had been granted to her by King William IV

The artist’s eyesight began to fail and she became increasingly physically infirm Fortunately, the wealthy Rathbone family, who were respected local philanthropists in Liverpool, arranged a public subscription that raised enough money to buy Sarah an annuity

Her illnesses finally overcame her and, eight years after arriving in Liverpool, she died aged 66

While most of her art work was either lost, or is kept in unknown private hands, some of Sarah’s miniatures survive to this day, and they really are quite beautiful

For a long time after her death, Sarah’s work faded into obscurity, until late last year when an exhibition of her work in London celebrated the life of an artist who broke down the barriers she faced as a disabled woman