‘Yes, she has gone off with two gentlemen’, by William Mulready

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Yes, she has gone off with two gentlemen

William Mulready

Wood engraving, cut by John Thompson

3½ x 3 inches

Oliver Goldsmith, The Vicar of Wakefield, 106.

This illustration shows the moment when Livy elopes – or is abducted. Mulready dramatizes her uncertainty in the form of her gestures, with her brother Dick pulling on her dress.

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Scanned image and text by Simon Cooke.

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The implied movement – the movement that is about to happen – is vividly conveyed in the rhythms of her costume. The illustration acts as a proleptic sign: positioned as a head-piece on page 106, the event does not feature until page 132, although it does have a caption taken from that page to guide the reader.

Bibliography

Goldsmith, Oliver. The Vicar of Wakefield. London: John Van Voorst, 1843.

Created 6 February 2021