Revelation of the Scarlet Letter, from Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter"
Darley here illustrates Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter, A Romance" (published 1850). The drawing was reproduced in 1879 as the first print in a set of twelve "Compositions in Outline." Set in seventeenth-century Boston, the story explores the consequences of a liason between Hester Prynne and the Puritan pastor Arthur Dimmesdale. When Hester becomes pregnant, she refuses to identify her child's father, is imprisoned, and forced to wear a red letter "A" on her dress (to mark her as an adultress). After release, she lives in an isolated cottage, supports herself as a seamstress, and raises her daughter Pearl. This image responds to the tale's climactic ending where Dimmesdale collapses after making a public confession. Before dying, he reveals a scarlet letter of his own–a red mark that has appeared on the skin of his chest. Lines from Hawthorne's text, inscribed below the image, are addressed by the pastor to Hester's revengeful husband, who kneels at left. See 14.111.2–.5 for other drawings from the set.
Artwork Details
- Title: Revelation of the Scarlet Letter, from Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter"
- Series/Portfolio: Design for Plate 12 in "Compositions in Outline from Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter by F. O. C. Darley," Boston, Houghton, Osgood & Company, 1879, printed in heliotype.
- Artist: Felix Octavius Carr Darley (American, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1822–1888 Claymont, Delaware)
- Author: Related author Nathaniel Hawthorne (American, Salem, Massachusetts 1804–1864 Plymouth, New Hampshire)
- Date: ca. 1879
- Medium: Pen and black ink over graphite
- Dimensions: Sheet: 15 1/8 x 20 3/8 in. (38.4 x 51.8 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Gift of W. A. White, 1914
- Object Number: 14.111.1
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.