The Painted Record
Title
The Painted Record
Alt Text Description
Grayscale illustration of a young woman and a bearded artist, gazing at an unseen painting on an easel. On the shelves behind, sit models of faces.
Description
While visiting Piero di Cosimo’s studio to view her father’s portrait, Romola notices a sketch that appears to connect her husband Tito to the prisoner she saw in the Duomo. Though Piero dismisses it as coincidence, the discovery plants lasting doubt and further fractures Romola’s trust in her husband.
“But in lifting away this picture, he had disclosed another —the oil-sketch of Tito, to which he had made an important addition within the last few days... but Romola exclaimed, flushing with astonishment, ‘That is Tito I’ Piero looked round, and gave a silent shrug. He was vexed at his own forgetfulness. She was still looking at the sketch in astonishment.." ("The Painted Record", Chapter 28).
“But in lifting away this picture, he had disclosed another —the oil-sketch of Tito, to which he had made an important addition within the last few days... but Romola exclaimed, flushing with astonishment, ‘That is Tito I’ Piero looked round, and gave a silent shrug. He was vexed at his own forgetfulness. She was still looking at the sketch in astonishment.." ("The Painted Record", Chapter 28).
Illustrator
Leighton, Frederic (1830-1896)
Contributor
Swain, Joseph (1820-1909), engraver
Publisher
George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org
Date
1863, 1880
Rights
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Work Illustrated
Romola
Citation
Leighton, Frederic (1830-1896), The Painted Record, George Eliot Illustrations Gallery, George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/83592
Illustration
