Rebecca Dulcibella Orpen
Rebecca Dulcibella Orpen (c.1830–1923) was a British artist known for her oil and watercolor paintings. She was born in County Cork, Ireland, to Abraham Edward Orpen and Martha Chatterton, and spent much of her youth with her aunt, Lady Georgiana Chatterton. She was educated in London and likely learned French in Paris, and she also knew German.
In 1867 she married Marmion Edward Ferrers of Baddesley Clinton. Two years later Georgiana and her husband moved in with them, and the four—often called The Quartet—lived and worked together at Baddesley Clinton, helping to restore the house and building a chapel where Rebecca painted.
Georgiana died in 1876, leaving Rebecca money in trust. Marmion died in 1884, leaving Rebecca with the property. Rebecca and Edward Heneage Dering, the surviving member of the quartet, continued living together until they married in 1885; Edward died in 1892. Rebecca remained a devoted Catholic and continued painting and taking part in local life. She preferred traditional ways—she even refused to have electricity at the house—though she did use photography.
She did not support women’s suffrage, believing it impractical, but she did influence local politics by guiding the votes of her tenants. Rebecca Orpen painted many works, including self-portraits and portraits of her aunt and her husband, and she kept painting well into old age. She produced around 78 surviving paintings and kept sketchbooks with preparatory drawings. She also painted the Stations of the Cross for St Mary Immaculate Church in Warwick (completed in 1897).
Rebecca lived at Baddesley Clinton until her death on 12 September 1923. The house is now a National Trust property, and many of her works remain there, with additional sketches and letters kept by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. She left a lasting artistic and cultural legacy tied to an historic English home.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:05 (CET).