‘There was sorrow in her heart’, by J. E. Millais

[Victorian Web Home — Visual Arts —> Illustration —> John Everett Millais —> Next]

There was sorrow in her heart

John Everett Millais

Wood engraving by the Dalziels

6¼ x 4¼ inches

Anthony Trollope,Orley Farm, Vol 1. Facing p.36.

Click on image to enlarge it.

Anthony Trollope

Orley Farm

Scanned image and text by Simon Cooke.

[You may use this image, which has been reproduced with permission of Professor Julia Thomas, DMVI, Cardiff University, Wales, UK, without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

Commentary

Lady Mason begins to digest the implications of the looming crisis. Millais provides a telling representation of what Trollope describes as a ‘true index’ of her feelings (p.36). Her inner torment is subtly expressed in her facial expression and immobility, with further suggestion of anxiety in the contrapuntal contrast between one still hand and the other, which is raised to her face. The detailed décor is an ironic reminder of all that she has to lose – and has jeopardized in an act of dishonesty.

Bibliography

Anthony Trollope, Orley Farm. 2 Vols. London: Chapman & Hall, 1862.

Created 4 May 2015