David Herbert Lawrence (1885-1930) was an English novelist, poet, playwright and literary critic, one of the key writers of the early twentieth century, most famous for his criticism of rationalism and industrialization. Inspired by Maurice Greiffenhagen's painting "An Idyll," and narrated in the first person by a character named Cyril Beardsall, "The White Peacock" is a novel that tells the story of Lettie Beardsall, involved in a love triangle with George and Leslie Temple. It also has a strong emphasis on a theme of the damage in relationships caused by mismatched marriage.