The Artist
The narrator of “The Real Thing” is an unnamed artist who is the protagonist of the story. He lives in London in a home that also contains his studio. Although he dreams of being a…
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Mrs. Monarch
Mrs. Monarch is an aristocrat who, with her husband Major Monarch, has fallen on hard times and is seeking employment, as they desperately need money. The two of them are used in the story…
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Major Monarch
Major Monarch is an aristocratic gentleman who, with his wife Mrs. Monarch, no longer has a fortune and now looks to be employed in order to have an income. With Mrs. Monarch, he is…
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Miss Churm
Miss Churm is a working-class woman who works as a model for the artist. She is plain, freckled, and uneducated, although she is clever and witty. She is the artist’s ideal model, as she…
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Oronte
Oronte is an Italian immigrant who is another of the artist’s favorite models. He is extremely expressive and has a knack for imitation. He doesn’t speak any English, and he astonishes the artist with…
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Jack Hawley
Jack Hawley is a long-time friend of the artist and has a knack for art criticism. Although he is not a good painter, the artist relies on Jack’s input on his work. In the story…
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Artistic Advisor
The artistic advisor is an employee at the publishing house that hires the artist to create illustrations for a special edition of a series of books by the (fictional) novelist Philip Vincent. The artist…
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Minor Characters
Philip Vincent
Philip Vincent is a fictional novelist. As described in the story, Vincent had once been neglected by the public, but is now a well-known and widely-admired writer. The artist is hired to make illustrations to accompany a new edition of a set of Philip Vincent’s works.
Claude Rivet
Claude Rivet is a painter of landscapes and an acquaintance of the artist. He recommends Mrs. Monarch and Major Monarch to seek modeling opportunities from the artist. He also tells them about the artist’s upcoming project to illustrate Philip Vincent’s books.
