Sir Peregrine and his heir

John Everett Millais

Wood engraving by the Dalziels

6¼ x 4¼ inches

Anthony Trollope,Orley Farm, Vol 1. Facing p.17.

Millais establishes the novel’s concern with inheritance and the transmission of wealth by focusing on the touching exchange between Sir Peregrine and Lucius Mason. The characters’ intent gaze and physical stance convey their affection for each other at a moment which is otherwise embarrassing. The background, which includes a cruet set and decorated chairs, also contributes to the author’s emphasis on the inner lives of everyday people: a Pre-Raphaelite lexicon which recreates the effects of Millais’s paintings.

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