Pip and Estella revisit Miss Havishams abandoned warehouse, where the old beer casks
are gathering dust for more than a quarter century. They also remember the past times,
when Estella climbed the casks and Pip stood worried below (here depicted on the left
side of the picture).
The abandoned factory, with its debris and dilapidated windows, was an unusual topic
to illustrate. I took inspiration from Dor e's illustration of a great storehouse in London,
where they keep giant casks. Especially the brick in the walls are a testimate to Dor e's
style used in his London series. The chiaro-scuro can be also credited to Dor e. In this
picture I also wanted to push the background architecture as possible in the spotlight.
Pip and Estella, though highlighted, are mere puppets in a giant building.
The wood columns in the middle, which resemble ship-masts, divide the picture in two
di erent places in time, the left depicting a bygone moment and the right depicting the
present. Originally I wasn't sure if to adopt a completely di erent lighting on the left
side, to emphasise the dislocation in time, hinting at a past summer, while the present
plays in the winter time.
Last and maybe least I want to hint at the irritating shadow on the bottom left, which
belongs to the translucent spectre of Pip.
Starting from the left and going clockwise: Pip, Estella, Miss Havisham and Mr. Jaggers
have a party of Whist.
Now this one is a funny picture full of unspoken (and partially stared) tension. Pip
has a crush (calling it love seems to me a little bit ridiculous) on Estella and tries to
act as gentlemanly and not-boyishly as possible, hence displaying an erect posture with
his cards neither to far from him nor to near him. His head is only very slightly bent
in Estella's direction. Furthermore he is under the terrible apprehension, that Miss
Havisham is his secret benefactor, which he isn't allowed to seek out. And at last he
fears Mr. Jaggers, like pretty much every one in this circle of cards.
Estella, fresh from Paris and overhung with precious jewels belonging to her stepmother,
doesn't care for anyone, except Mr. Jaggers. While following suit she leisurely waves
her cards in her hand and xes here beautiful eyes on the bald forehead of Mr. Jaggers,
wondering what he thinks and how much he knows. Her dress is inspired by the french
fashion of the rst years after the restauration.
Miss Havisham crazily leeres at Pip (almost copied from G ericault's depiction of a mad
woman.), while clutching her cards in a mad disarray. That she's wearing her bridal
dress can be added to the testimonies of her madness. Her game is to make Pip fall
in love with Estella, just to be able to make Estella break his heart again. That's just
wicked!
Finally Mr. Jaggers sits how it pleases him and concentrates only on his cards, seemingly
not minding the presence of the others. Why should he, being in posession of every little
detail and secret of this three people.
The game is located in Miss Havisham dressing room and the furniture is painstakingly
copied from the illustration of chapter 8, where Pip enters this room for the rst time.
For the nitpicker among you, the order in which the cards overlap in the trick is probably
anti-clockwise, while the game is played clockwise.
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