"St. Juliot Church [Cornwall]"

"St. Juliot Church [Cornwall]"

Watercolor sketch

Emma Lavinia Gifford Hardy, Thomas Hardy's first wife, painted this watercolor sketch of the St. Juliot Churchyard in Cornwall. Created in 1870, this work was completed before their marriage in 1874. However, Thomas signed the image for Emma, signifying that there was a relationship between the two at the time, be that business or romantic. The bottom center of the sketch reads, "The quiet dead," which makes one wonder whether those words were Thomas's or Emma's original idea. The phrase, "the quiet dead" is reminiscent of Hardy's writing, whose stories often end in death. "The quiet dead" may suggest Thomas's feelings about death, that one's mind or emotions may never truly quiet themselves until they are no longer alive. Perhaps they shared the same feelings on the matter, therefore inspiring Emma's art.

Hardy, Emma Lavinia Gifford

Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature, The New York Public Library.

1870

The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1870.

Still image

Watercolor sketch