Gallery of Illustrated Quotations

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The George Eliot Archive is pleased to present a new visual collection: a gallery of high-resolution “postcards” pairing meaningful quotations from Eliot’s writing with curated imagery and original artwork.This project, developed by our team of digital humanities interns, invites viewers to engage with Eliot’s prose in a visually interpretive form. Sort by:

Each postcard combines a selected quotation with public domain and CC-licensed images, often created by the students (some with AI assistance). Designed for both digital sharing and physical printing, these cards are available under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), ensuring appropriate credit while encouraging adaptation and reuse in non-commercial contexts.

Print as postcards, posters, notebooks, or on fabric totes and t-shirts. Share digitally on social media or end your next PowerPoint presentation with George Eliot's words of wit and wisdom.

Our primary source has been Alexander Main's 1872 collection Wise, Witty and Tender Sayings in Prose and Verse, selected from the Works of George Eliot and our own exploration of keywords in Eliot's writing using our own George Eliot Text Explorer. 

Mencner, Abby
Honesty
Romola

Leyva-Espinosa, Kerem
Love
Middlemarch

Hornquist, Ella
Dreams
The Lifted Veil

Bolin, Audrey
Unique
George Eliot Letters

Lopez Valdes, Noemi
Perception
The Mill on the Floss

Deriso, Carter and Em Petlev
George Eliot to Cara Bray

DeLuca, Audrey
Children, Ignorance, Path
Adam Bede

Hornquist, Ella
Adam Bede

Cafferky, Cristina
Pride
The Sad Fortunes of the Reverend Amos Barton

Mencner, Abby
Vulnerability
George Eliot to Sara Hennell

Spoor, Hailee
Humility, Suffering
Mr.Gilfil's Love Story

Heelam, Monique
Flowers
The Mill on the Floss

Bolin, Audrey
Handsome
Adam Bede

Hornquist, Ella
Books
George Eliot Letters

Deriso, Carter
Travel
George Eliot to Sara Hennell

Deriso, Carter
Autumn
George Eliot to Charles Lewes

Spoor, Hailee
Bad, Good, Character
Mr.Gilfil's Love Story

Cafferky, Cristina
Love
The Spanish Gypsy

Deriso, Carter
Teaching
George Eliot to Sara Hennell

DeLuca, Audrey
Patience, Hurry
Adam Bede

Fleming, Isabel
Nature, Life
Janet's Repentance

Ward, Isa
heroism
Felix Holt, The Radical

Deriso, Carter
Feelings
George Eliot to Charles Bray

Petlev, Em
Illusions
Impressions of Theophrastus Such

Petlev, Em
National identity
Impressions of Theophrastus Such

DeLuca, Audrey
Love, Death
The Lifted Veil

Spoor, Hailee
Living
Middlemarch

Rilett, Beverley Park
Helping, fellowship
Middlemarch

Hornquist, Ella
Love
Adam Bede

Shade, Cara
George Eliot to Sara Hennell

Shade, Cara
Art
George Eliot to John Blackwood

Petlev, Em
The Sad Fortunes of the Reverend Amos Barton

Rilett, Beverley Park
motherhood, parenthood, childhood
Adam Bede

Leyva-Espinosa, Kerem
Love
The Mill on the Floss

Ainooson, Olivia
Temptation
Adam Bede

Mencner, Abby
Writing, Praise
Romola

Ainooson, Olivia
Childhood, Temper
George Eliot to Cara Bray

Spoor, Hailee
Art
Daniel Deronda

Mencner, Abby
Love
Romola

Leyva-Espinosa, Kerem
Youth
Romola

Hale, Lillian
Love

Heelam, Monique
The Mill on the Floss

Freeman, Asha
Passion

Petlev, Em
Royalty, Historians
Impressions of Theophrastus Such

Cafferky, Cristina
Self-Awareness
The Sad Fortunes of the Reverend Amos Barton

Deriso, Carter
Friendship
George Eliot to Mary Sibree

Deriso, Carter
Family
George Eliot to Cara Bray

DeLuca, Audrey
Marriage, Children, Aging
Adam Bede

DeLuca, Audrey
Learning, Math
Adam Bede

Spoor, Hailee
Work
Middlemarch

Spoor, Hailee
Work
Middlemarch

Spoor, Hailee
Work
Middlemarch

Deriso, Carter
George Eliot to Sara Hennell

Deriso, Carter
George Eliot to Martha Jackson

Shade, Cara
Letters
George Eliot to Sara Hennell

Shade, Cara
Love, Distance, Christmas
George Eliot to the Brays