Originally published as a serialized story, The Woman in White was accompanied in some newspapers by illustrations depicting the action of the novel. Examining these illustrations can shed light on how these characters were viewed by Victorian readers—and, in addition, they bring Collins’ vibrant characters to life in a way that text alone cannot. A link to the illustrations can be found here.
While looking through the illustrations of The Woman in White, I noticed that Marian and Laura were portrayed as opposing figures in almost every illustration that featured either woman, or both together. In most of the illustrations, Marian wears dark dresses, while Laura wears white. When Marian and Laura are shown together at Limmeridge, Marian has a rigid, strong posture, while Laura either reclines or leans toward her, reflecting Laura’s reliance on Marian’s protection. However, in a scene depicting the sisters at Blackwater Park, the roles have shifted: Marian leans forward, while Laura stands defiantly tall behind her. Here, the illustrations track the exchange of strength between Laura and Marian seen over the course of the novel.
This pattern is especially apparent in the illustrations depicting Walter’s introductions to Marian and Laura. Both women are seen from Walter’s point of view; however, Marian faces away from Walter while Laura is seen in profile. As a result, we cannot see Marian’s face at all, while Laura’s face is full of expression. In addition, while the background to Marian’s portrait has an almost sketch-like appearance, Laura’s background is richly illustrated. These images, which mimic the narration of the novel in meticulous detail, are crafted to reinforce each woman’s role in her society. Laura fits beautifully into her illustration, completing the picture of purity and innocence as she gazes heavenward with an almost angelic quality. Marian, on the other hand, appears to be sketched almost as an afterthought. The fact that she is turned away prevents the viewer from seeing the most unique physical attribute of Marian Halcombe—her strong facial features. Instead, she fades into a rather unremarkable background, just as unmarried women were marginalized in the Victorian era without any social standing.
What a great link! I really enjoyed scrolling through the illustrations. You conduct a fantastic close reading of the representations of Marian and Laura. It’s also interesting to think about the function of these illustrations in the serials published at the time. I wonder if they were intended to increase the “sensations” that the readers felt by creating a visual picture to aid their imaginations. I’d also be interested to see how they were integrated with the text in the serials.
I find it interesting that in the panel, “Walter Says Goodbye to Laura,” Laura’s face is turned away. Though her hair and dress are neatly sketched, any signification of her feelings is absent as Walter pours out all of his—as his “tears” and “lips” drop onto her hand, literally superimposing his physical expressions of upset onto her body, we know nothing of her emotions. Like the detailed painting directly above her head or the carefully arranged flowers behind her, Laura is an artistic object to be gazed upon, a canvas to display Walter’s feelings.
This is a great post! I found your close reading of these illustrations to be very intuitive and spot on. I would never have thought of how they were represented in the serialized versions or even the idea of illustrations. I think these illustrations definitely would have affected the readers’ interpretations of the characters and the text, as they are being given the faces, or lack thereof, of the main characters. I am somewhat relating it to seeing a movie before reading the book from which it was adapted and how that affects the way in which someone’s imagination revolves around the text. Finally, I do question the artist behind these illustrations. Did he know Collins and did Collins tell him what to illustrate or was he more just a keen observer of Collins’ text? This would be very cool to research more. Once again, awesome post!