Ian Pollock (B. 1950) "Thomas Hardy - The Mayor of Casterbridge" Signed lower right. Watercolor on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the Great Britain Thomas Hardy stamp issued July 10, 1990. Thomas Hardy and his wife Emma settled into their new home in Dorchester in 1883. His desire to immerse himself in the history of the region, so he read the files of the Dorsetshire County Chronicle in 1884. He found an article describing the an auction of a wife. This article provided him with great information and a situation for another book. The Mayor of Casterbridge is set in the county of Wessex, in an old community that relies on religious and farming beliefs held for centuries. Farfrae and Lucetta are brought to Casterbridge unexpectedly, however their arrivals ruin the lives of the Henchards. Irony, fate, and happenstance work upon the people who are already there, making the best laid plans go awry. Yet it is not completely fate that bring the characters to their downfall, character is just as responsible for mankind's life as is Fate. Image Size: 17.25 x 21 in. Overall Size: 20.5 x 23.5 in. Unframed. (B12494)