Miss Havisham in Dickens' Great Expectations is one of his more haunting and memorable characters. Jilted on her wedding morning she lives out her days as a recluse surrounded by the decaying trappings of that fateful day.
Now in an exhibition at the Maidstone Museum in Kent, two artists, Jane Wildgoose and Mary Hooper, are attempting to recreate the spirit of Miss Havisham's house. They collaborated with the museum's curators, Veronica Tonge and Ed Jarzembowski who opened up their prized collections of costumes and natural history.
Clare Hampson visited the gallery to find out how the artists and the experts worked together to bring Miss Havisham back to life.
'Human Nature' exhibition at the Maidstone Museum runs until 7 March. Maidstone Museum, St Faiths Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LH There is a gallery talk about 'Human Nature' by the artists on Wednesday 18 Feb at 7.30pm
