Middlemarch Chapter 22 Summary

Summary

Will Ladislaw proves charming at dinner and deftly engages Mr. Casaubon in conversation, winning Dorothea’s approval. He proposes art-studio visits and next day leads the Casaubons to the studio of his friend Adolf Naumann, a painter whom Will praises as renewing Christian art. Naumann paints and discusses his work; he requests a sketch of Mr. Casaubon’s head for a St. Thomas Aquinas figure and asks Dorothea to stand as Santa Clara. Dorothea consents readily and feels a renewed happiness and appreciation for art as she sits for studies. Mr. Casaubon, though sometimes uneasy, is flattered by Naumann’s request to use his visage in a painting and agrees to further sittings; he decides to buy the larger picture, while Naumann remains cautious about the Santa Clara study.

After the studio visit, Will grows irritated with Naumann’s coarse praises of Dorothea and struggles with mixed feelings: pleasure at Dorothea’s radiance and jealousy at Mr. Casaubon’s position. Will arranges to call when Casaubon is out, and he and Dorothea discuss cameos, art, and the value of enjoyment versus moral sympathy. Their talk turns to Mr. Casaubon’s learning: Dorothea defends the worth of earnest scholarship, while Will warns that Casaubon’s work may be behind modern advances and that he should not rely on others’ generosity. The conversation closes with mutual kindness and a promise from Will not to speak ill of Casaubon; he resolves to return to England and support himself. Dorothea warmly says she likes him and will remember his good wishes, and later tells Casaubon of Will’s resolution, which he answers with polite reserve.

Key events

1. Will charms at dinner and suggests studio visits in Rome.
2. Will takes the Casaubons to Adolf Naumann’s studio; Naumann paints and talks art.
3. Naumann requests a sketch of Mr. Casaubon for St. Thomas Aquinas; Dorothea models as Santa Clara.
4. Dorothea enjoys the sittings; Casaubon agrees to buy the larger picture and another sitting is arranged.
5. Will resents Naumann’s coarse compliments about Dorothea and seeks a private meeting with her.
6. Dorothea and Will discuss art, scholarship, and Casaubon; Will vows to be independent and promises not to disparage Casaubon.

Analysis

This chapter advances character dynamics and shows how art functions as a social and moral mirror. The studio episodes allow Dorothea to experience aesthetic education in a way that renews her spirits; modeling as Santa Clara literalizes the theme of sanctity and idealized womanhood that orbits Dorothea’s character. Naumann’s practical, slightly coarse artistic temperament contrasts with Will’s poetic sensitivity and Mr. Casaubon’s scholarly reserve, setting up a three-way contrast between creation, appreciation, and critical erudition. Many small gestures—Naumann’s request for Casaubon’s head, Dorothea’s ready compliance, Will’s alternating admiration and irritation—reveal deeper tensions: Will’s impatience with scholarly pedantry and his yearning for recognition; Dorothea’s innocence and desire to be useful and beautiful in a moral sense; Casaubon’s guarded pride and discomfort as a subject of aesthetic attention. Narrative technique alternates social scene-setting (dinner, studio) with intimate dialogue, letting Eliot probe conflicting value systems—enjoyment and beauty versus moral sympathy and scholarly seriousness—without resolving them. The chapter foreshadows potential strains by emphasizing Will’s jealousy and Casaubon’s unease, while symbolic moments (Dorothea as Santa Clara, Casaubon turned into an image for Aquinas) suggest the novel’s interest in how persons become ideals or objects for others’ projects. The tone balances ironic observation with sympathy, preparing readers to watch how personal aspirations and social roles will interact.

Important quotes

“I am so glad you are come. Perhaps you understand all about cameos, and can tell me if these are really good.”

Dorothea BrookeDorothea welcomes Will to her room in Mr. Casaubon’s absence and asks his opinion while handling cameos for her sister.

“Certainly, I will promise you,”

Will LadislawWill agrees to Dorothea’s request not to speak disparagingly of Mr. Casaubon’s writings after their earnest conversation.

Characters in Chapter 22

• Will Ladislaw
• Edward Casaubon
• Dorothea Brooke
• Adolf Naumann
• St. Thomas Aquinas
• Marlowe
• Tamburlaine
• Celia Brooke
• Naumann