Scan lists of the greatest actresses, and the earliest name typically found is Greer Garson—coincidentally, Elizabeth Bennet in the 1940 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Frustratingly omitted from these lists is Jennifer Ehle. Jennifer’s omission places her in good company: Sarah Siddons, widely celebrated as the greatest actress of her generation, rarely appears either.

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Perhaps it’s because no recordings of Siddons’ performances survive—only playbills, reviews, and abundant contemporary media. Yet, what media! Statues were sculpted in her honour; her likeness captured by history's greatest artists. A quick Google search yields countless images; Amazon offers books dedicated to her legacy. The Sarah Siddons Society in Chicago continues to present awards in her name (though none yet awarded for performances in Austen adaptations).

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Sarah would have been fifty-eight at the publication of Pride and Prejudice. Initially, I considered aging her image accordingly, but seeing recent images of Meryl Streep looking decades younger provided the perfect justification to retain the splendid, youthful replication the .ai provided.