Lady Staveley interrupting her son and Sophia Furnival

Lady Staveley interrupting her son and Sophia Furnival

John Everett Millais

Wood engraving by the Dalziels

6¼ x 4¼ inches

Anthony Trollope, Orley Farm, Vol 1, facing p. 306.

The physical characteristics of interiors are a key constituent in Millais’s illustrations, with opening and closing doors, windows and corridors playing an important part in developing narrative and suggesting states of mind. The unexpected opening of the door in this scene creates surprise and dramatic tension.

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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.]