by Francis Coates Jones (1857–1932)
I am a free human being with an independent will.
― Charlotte Brontë
Independence is a heady draught, and if you drink it in your youth,
it can have the same effect on the brain as young wine does.
It does not matter that its taste is not always appealing.
It is addictive and with each drink you want more.
― Maya Angelou
Sources:
[1] Original image from invaluable
[2] A brief biography of the artist Francis Coates Jones
[3] The Real Victorian's altered version of the painting (seen above),
downloadable as a 8" x 10" @ 300 ppi JPEG
Digitally enhanced reproductions of public domain paintings are shared under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.