the picture gallery

The picture gallery is one of the most significant interior spaces within Misselthwaite Manor, a long corridor whose walls are entirely covered with portraits of the Craven family ancestors. When Mary Lennox first wanders through the house during her early days at the manor, she finds herself in this gallery and is struck by the sheer number of faces staring down at her. The portraits depict men and women in queer, grand costumes of satin and velvet, and among them are children—little girls in thick satin frocks and boys with puffed sleeves and lace collars. Mary stops to look at each child, wondering what their names were, where they had gone, and why they wore such odd clothes. One portrait in particular catches her attention: a stiff, plain little girl rather like herself, dressed in green brocade and holding a green parrot on her finger, with sharp, curious eyes. Mary speaks aloud to the portrait, asking, "Where do you live now? I wish you were here." This moment marks the beginning of Mary's engagement with the house's hidden history and her own sense of isolation within it.

A Space of Exploration and Secrecy

The picture gallery becomes a key location during rainy days when Mary and Colin cannot go into the secret garden. On one such morning, Colin, restless and full of the "Magic" he believes is making him well, decides to explore the unused parts of the house. He orders his wheelchair brought to the gallery, then dismisses the footman, leaving himself and Mary alone. Once they are certain no one is watching, Colin gets out of his chair and announces, "I am going to run from one end of the gallery to the other, and then I am going to jump and then we will do Bob Haworth's exercises." The gallery, with its long, unobstructed floor, provides the perfect space for Colin to test his recovering body away from the watchful eyes of nurses and doctors. He and Mary run, jump, and perform the muscle exercises Dickon had taught them, laughing together in the freedom of their secret. They also pause to look again at the portraits, and Colin identifies the plain little girl with the parrot as one of his ancestors, remarking that she looks like Mary did when she first arrived at Misselthwaite—before she grew fatter and better looking.

A Symbol of Transformation

The picture gallery thus functions as more than a mere corridor of ancestral portraits; it becomes a private arena for Colin's physical rehabilitation and a shared space of joy between the two cousins. It is where Colin first dares to walk and run without the support of his chair, and where he and Mary can laugh and play without fear of being observed. The gallery's long, straight path mirrors the straightness Colin is discovering in his own spine, and its collection of past family members—many of whom lived and died within the manor—contrasts with the living, growing children who now inhabit its space. By the end of their rainy-day explorations, Colin declares, "I never knew I lived in such a big queer old place. I like it. We will ramble about every rainy day. We shall always be finding new queer corners and things." The gallery, once a place of silent, staring ancestors, has become a site of active, joyful life.