Portrait of Captain Benwick

Portrait of Captain Benwick

Paintings

Captain Benwick had a small miniature painting of himself done by a German artist. He meant to give it to his fiancé at the time, Fanny, but she passed away. After he is engaged to Louisa, he asks his friend, Fanny’s brother, Captain Harville, to have the painting reset for Louisa instead. Captian Harville is hurt to see his friend moving on so quickly after his sister’s death, and the task of resetting the painting prompts a pivotal conversation with Anne Eliot about the nature of faithfulness in men and women. When Captain Wentworth overhears Anne’s words about feminine faithfulness, he is persuaded that after all the years, she never fell out of love for him. While she talks to Capitan Harville, he writes a letter to Anne, declaring his love.

unknown German painter

Persuasion, Jane Austen

Brianna Sumption

Novel