▁ 1 8 6 9 , ▁Hop kins ▁and ▁her ▁husband ▁took ▁a ▁fare well ▁tour ▁of ▁Lake ▁Super ior , ▁as ▁ret irement ▁from ▁the ▁Hudson ' s ▁Bay ▁Company ▁was ▁approaching . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁Hop kins ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁woman ▁to ▁show ▁a ▁large ▁body ▁of ▁work ▁at ▁an ▁exhibition ▁in ▁Montreal . ▁Later ▁that ▁same ▁year , ▁the ▁Hop kins ▁family ▁moved ▁back ▁to ▁England ▁perman ently ▁without ▁two ▁of ▁their ▁sons , ▁as ▁one ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 4 ▁and ▁the ▁other ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 8 6 9 . ▁ ▁Art istic ▁career ▁Frances ▁Anne ▁Hop kins ' ▁( née ▁Be ech ey ) ▁was ▁already ▁a ▁sk il ful ▁artist ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁her ▁marriage ▁to ▁Edward ▁Hop kins ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 8 . ▁G row ing ▁up ▁in ▁an ▁upper - middle - class ▁family , ▁it ▁is ▁probable ▁that ▁she ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁provided ▁with ▁t utor ing ▁in ▁the ▁fine ▁arts , ▁special ising ▁in ▁education ▁in ▁drawing ▁and ▁painting . ▁However , ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁confirmed ▁documentation ▁of ▁this . ▁ ▁The ▁Be ech ey ▁family ▁was ▁already ▁a ▁well - known ▁family ▁of ▁artists , ▁most ▁important ly , ▁her ▁grand father ▁Sir ▁William ▁Be ech ey , ▁a ▁portrait ▁painter ▁and ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Academy ▁of ▁Arts , ▁Lady ▁Be ech ey , ▁a ▁mini atur ist , ▁and ▁Frances ' ▁father ▁was ▁an ▁accomplished ▁water - color ist ,