Showing your picture to his mother and sisters · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Showing your picture to his mother and sisters
Period: 1850-1900;
Geographic: Europe; England; United Kingdom; Britain
Description: Here we see Mr. Elton showing Harriet’s portrait to his mother and sisters. After Emma completed the portrait Mr. Elton took it to London to get it framed. Mr. Elton flattered highly the portrait Emma drew, and Emma took this as a sign that Mr. Elton was in love with Harriet. She was mistaken, however, because Mr. Elton was flattering the portrait because of Emma’s skill in producing it, as he was in love with her. This scene occurs in chapter 7. The characters are shown in the traditional regency style, with Mr. Elton’s sisters and mother wearing the regency style dress with an empire waist. Their hair is worn tied up, as was tradition for women after their coming out before the queen, signaling her entrance into society. Mr. Elton wears a waistcoat and tailcoat, with a cravat. The regency period dated to the early nineteenth century (1811-1820) when George, Prince of Wales, later George IV (r. 1820-1830), reigned as regent for his mentally ill father, King George III (r. 1760-1820). The regency period is associated with the rise of neoclassicism in art and fashion.
Image Creator: Hugh Thomson (Illustrator)
Type: StillImage; pen and ink illustrations
Identifier: mta:25770
Language: eng
Source Name: Emma
Parent Collection: "Emma," by Jane Austen. Illustrations by Hugh Thomson (1896)
Image: mta_25770_OBJ.png

Media: mta_25770_OBJ.png