It is not uncommon for a talented artist, no matter how extensive his or her oeuvre, to become primarily associated with only a single one of their creations. The artist may have many recognizable works, but there is a single piece that has become idiomatic, and whenever that artist is mentioned, everyone pictures that particular work before any other. The remaining works in their catalog may not be as good, just as good, or some maybe even better, but it is that one peculiar work that becomes their emblem. What is a less common situation, however, is to find an artist whose signature work becomes their standard because it is nearly the only survivor of their career's output. But such is the case of Margaret Bernadine Hall, whose arresting painting, Fantine, is one of only 3 of her paintings for which whose whereabouts can be accounted: the others include a portrait of the music scholar Sedley Taylor in the collection of Trinity College, Cambridge, and a portrait of Hall's brother, Douglas, held in private hands, which only came to light in 2011. (There are 5 other known paintings by Hall, but these are all copies of works by Murillo, Raphael, Veronese, and Ribalta, done for the Sisters of the Chapel of the Transfiguration in Cincinnati, Ohio). Margaret Bernadine Hall was born sometime in 1863 in Wavetree, Liverpool. She was the eldest daughter of 10 children born to Bernard Hall, a wealthy West India merchant who became a philanthropist, Alderman, and the first Mayor of the City of Liverpool. After the family moved to London in 1882, the 19-year-old Margaret travelled to Paris to study at the Académie Krug, an atelier for women artists run by Édouard Krug and Augustin Feyen-Perrin. She spent 5 years at Krug's academy, and then remained in Paris for 3 more years before embarking on a world tour. During the next 6 years she visited Japan, China, Australia, North America... She died at age 47. (http://underpaintings1.rssing.com/chan-10103856/all_p10.html) undefined

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