THE BRONTË Society has bought two Charlotte Brontë watercolours during an auction at Sotheby’s.

The acquisition came as the Brontë Parsonage Museum unveiled plans for celebrating Emily Brontë’s birthday this month.

The watercolours, due to go on show at the Haworth museum next year, have been attributed by experts to Charlotte, the writer of classic novel Jane Eyre.

One picture, a study of a white carnation, and the other depicting a convolvulus, a crocus and an aster, were previously unknown and have never been on public display.

They are connected to the Sidgwick family, for whom Charlotte Brontë worked as a governess in 1839.

Charlotte is best known for writing novels, such as Jane Eyre, but her early ambition was to earn her living as an artist.

She was an accomplished painter, but came to realise she did not have the necessary level of skill to have a career in this field.

Charlotte’s ability to observe and accurately record detail was a valuable foundation for her written work and a contributing factor in her subsequent success as a writer.

Ann Dinsdale, collections manager at the Parsonage Museum, said staff are delighted to have acquired the two paintings for the museum.

She added: “Although unsigned, they have excellent provenance and are stylistically similar to other Charlotte Brontë paintings already in the Brontë Society’s collection.

“We look forward to putting them on display in the Parsonage as part of Charlotte Brontë’s bicentenary celebrations next year.”

The museum is teaming up with the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway for a belated birthday celebration for Emily Brontë.

The 197th birthday of the writer of Wuthering Heights falls on July 30, but August 2 has been chosen for an event that will be attended by only 30 people.

Guests will board the 11.45am steam train from Keighley and hear a talk by railway historian David Pearson, and on arrival in Haworth will travel by vintage bus into the village.

After exploring Haworth and lunching at a local cafe or pub, they will visit the museum, listen to a talk about Emily and go on a guided walk to Penistone Hill.

Following afternoon tea, the bus will take guests back to the train to arrive back in Keighley at 4.40pm.

The cost of the Emily Brontë birthday event is £20 for adults, £17.50 concessions and £10 for children. Visit bronte.org.uk for more details and to book places.