Historic England has installed the plaque at Allbrook Farmhouse in the town to celebrate the accomplishments of Mary Beale, a portrait painter born in 1633, who lived until 1699.
Recognised for her groundbreaking career, Beale has been acknowledged as being “ahead of her time.”
She was part of a small band of female professional artists working in London and became the main financial provider for her family through her work.
Beale moved to Eastleigh with her husband Charles in 1664 as part of an effort to escape the plague.
A spokeswoman for Historic England said: “Born in 1633, in Suffolk, Mary Beale was one of the first English women to work as a professional artist, an extraordinary achievement when women were largely excluded from artistic training.
“Unlike many of her male contemporaries, she succeeded without financial support from a wealthy patron.
“She also trained other women in painting, and she is sometimes cited as the first woman to have written an instructional text for painting in English.
“Many of Mary Beale’s works were misattributed to male artists for generations, including to Peter Lely, and her own son Charles.
“Her first solo exhibition came only in 1975.
“Recent exhibitions at the Dulwich Picture Gallery, Tate Britain, and Philip Mould Gallery have brought renewed attention to her achievements.
“Experts continue to discover more of her paintings, correcting historical misattributions.”
Mary Beale was said to be “ahead of her time”
Claudia Kenyatta and Emma Squire, co-chief executives of Historic England, said: “Mary Beale was ahead of her time.
“Through talent, resilience and determination, she forged a successful career in a world that offered women few opportunities, establishing herself as one of the first professional women artists in England.
“Her remarkable body of work and influence continue to resonate today.”
Baroness Twycross, Heritage Minister, said: “It is fitting that a pioneering woman has become the first-ever seventeenth-century figure to be honoured with a national blue plaque.
“Almost 400 years ago, Mary Beale proved that pure artistic skill could overcome the barriers that made becoming a professional so much more difficult because of her gender.
“Mary perfectly represents how talent is everywhere and reminds us of the importance of nurturing those skills in all who possess them.
“This plaque will be a powerful inspiration to women and girls today.”
Philip Mould, art expert and broadcaster, said: “Set aside, for a moment, Mary Beale’s near singularity as a woman artist in a male-dominated profession.
“What is most striking is the sheer industry of her portrait practice.
“Academics, divines, and a wide swathe of the professional middle classes and gentry were captured by her brush through a dynamic family enterprise, with Beale at its centre, her husband working behind the scenes, and her two sons helping to complete compositions.
“She did for this stratum of society what Sir Peter Lely did for the aristocracy.”
Are you familiar with the work of Mary Beale? Let us know in the comments.
