Maud Marian, artist : $b or, The Studio Mariano
| Language | en |
|---|---|
| First published | 2026-02-04 |
| Rights | Public domain in the USA. |
| Gutenberg ID | #77861 |
Description
"Maud Marian, artist" by Eglanton Thorne is a novel written in the late 19th century. It follows Maud Marian, a wealthy, self-assured young woman determined to be an artist in Rome, and her steadier cousin-companion Enid Mildmay, as they enter a social world of studios, patrons, and moral choices, with tensions between artistic ambition, family duty, and emerging romances. The opening of the novel sets Maud’s resolve against her father’s wish for companionship after her aunt’s marriage: Maud insists on wintering in Rome to pursue “Art,” brushes aside appeals to duty, and secures Enid as her companion. In Devonport, kindly, practical Enid—one of a doctor’s many children—receives the unexpected invitation, departs with mixed joy and homesickness, and soon arrives in Rome. There she is awed by the Colosseum, where she impulsively befriends Julius Dakin, a charming banker’s son later revealed to be Maud’s acquaintance. Maud lavishly establishes the “Studio Mariano,” while Enid quietly proves capable and befriends a solitary Scottish artist, Miss Strutt, and begins Italian lessons with the beautiful Adela Ravani. At Maud’s studio opening, the blunt master Herr Schmitz ridicules Maud’s work but praises Enid’s small still life, pricking Maud’s pride and straining the cousins’ rapport, even as Julius hovers helpfully, flowers and flattery in hand. (This is an automatically generated summary.)