the Mysteries of UDOLPHO, The Players Part I

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Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho, written in 1794, is an integral part of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. Austen's blurring of the lines in her mock Gothic novel with Udolpho's plot is one of the many devices Austen calls upon in her novels to lure her devoted readers into the Austen web of literature.

I was lured. The Mysteries of Udolpho is a must read for any curious student of Austen.You will not be treading lightly though-dearest, but your efforts will be rewarded. Poe and Sade read Udolpho too, so there are a multitude insights  and influences to be discovered. The beautiful orphaned Emily St Aubert is imprisoned by her guardian Count Montoni. The Count schemes to sell the lady to the highest bidder. The Count's remote castle in the Apennines is the setting for much of the novel and darling Emily finds 'her present life...like the dream of a distempered imagination, or like one of those frightful fictions, in which the wild genius of the poets sometimes delighted. Reflection brought only regret, and anticipation terror.

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Kazakh model, Ruslana Korshunova ,

who fell to her death a few years ago.

image from here

the players

 

EMILY

a well read and Virtuous Beauty

The death of Emily's beloved father, triggers a series of events that destroy the Emily's cloistered world.

Manchon came running, and barking before her...

The dog still fawned and ran around her,

and then flew towards the carriage...

'Manchon's gone to look for him,' Emily sobbed aloud;

and, on looking towards the carriage,

which still stood with the door open,

saw the animal spring into it.

The dog now came running to Emily, 

then to the carriage, and then back again to her,

whining an discontented.

'Poor rogue!... thou hast lost thy master,

thou mayst well cry!'

"Lady Emily" by Sofonisba

Saint Aubert

 Bronzino here

 Madame Chevron: 

Emily's vain and selfish aunt is seduced by and marries Count Montini.

by Sofonisba Anguissola

Count Monrano

Emily's Venetian suitor

Titian

Count Montini

Radcliffe's Gothic Villian

by Sofonisba

Valancourt

dashing suitor to Emily, friend to Emily's deceased father Saint Aubert.

Her heart, as it gave her back the image of Valancourt, 

mourned in vain regret, but reason soon came with a consolation,
which, though feeble at first,acquired vigour from reflection. 
She considered, that, whatever might be her sufferings, 
she had withheld from involving him in misfortune, 
and that, whatever her future sorrows could be, 

she was, at least, free from self-reproach.

Giovanni Morini here

UDOLPHO, The Castle, Part II, next week

more about SOFONISBA here
image 1 from raucousroyals here
image 2 the Appinines from wikipedia
all Sofonisba images from here

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