Rare Jane Austen sketch loaned to Bath

The sketch of Austen by her sister Cassandra is accepted as a likeness of the famed British novelist

A rare portrait of Jane Austen, one of Britain's best loved novelists, is on display in Bath where she lived between 1801 and 1806.

The faithful sketch by Austen's sister Cassandra, is on loan from London's National Portrait Gallery and can be viewed at The Holburne Museum.

Its delicate nature means it is rarely loaned and its arrival coincides with the city's annual Jane Austen Festival.

The sketch was the only widely accepted depiction of her, the museum said.

Because Austen's fame grew after her death, there were very few portraits made of her while she was alive.

Curator Monserrat Pis Marcos said: "We are delighted to show this fragile and iconic portrait of one of the most important figures in English literature, and one of Bath's most famous residents, at the Holburne - a building she knew and mentioned in her correspondence.

"We very much hope Miss Austen will enjoy her summer sojourn in our Georgian galleries."

Austen shared a bedroom with her sister Cassandra at No 4 Sydney Place in Bath

Although undated, the sketch is believed to have been from about 1810, because of her age and dress.

Austen, whose most famous works were Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, lived across the road from the Holburne at 4 Sydney Place.

During that time, she frequently visited Sydney Gardens, attending public breakfasts and evening galas there.