‘You would like a portrait’?
George du Maurier
Wood engraving by Joseph Swain
5½ x 3½ inches
Gaskell, Elizabeth. Cousin Phillis and Other Tales, facing 78.
Gaskell’s emphasis on domestic drama is visualized in this type of genre-style illustration, with its focus on small-scale interiors and intimate moments. Cousin Phillis’s unease as Holdsworth tinkers with her hair is suggested by her blank expression and still hands – trying her best, it seems, to conceal her emotions.
Click on image to enlarge it.
Scanned image and text by Simon Cooke.