Browse Items (1 total)

  • Tags: mosaic

Frontispiece to the [1899] George Routledge & Sons, Ltd. Reprint Depicting Ellen and M. Muller

3DES_Routledge_1889_paratext_001D_web.jpg

This illustration, appearing as the frontispiece to the [1899] George Routledge and Sons edition, depicts Ellen returning a mosaic, a "piece of pietra-dura work," to M. Muller, a Swiss man and friend of Ellen's uncle Lindsay. A caption below the illustration quotes a sentence from page 532 and reads, "'Tenez, monsieur!' said Ellen, blushing, but smiling, and tendering back the mosaic." Ellen, who is described in the caption as "blushing, but smiling" is turned away from the reader, making it impossible for the viewer of this illustration to confirm the caption's suggestion. During the scene on page 532, the reader is told that the mosaic contains an image of Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps, which is situated between Italy and France. The room where Ellen and M. Muller stand is brightly lit, highlighting the features of M. Muller and Ellen's light blue dress. Their exchange emphasizes the novel's focus on the interaction between people of various cultures and nationalities.

Subjects: Ellen, M. Muller

Tags: ,

Identifier: 3DES_14