click to enlarge |
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Image | 1765-London-01-001-f |
Illustration No. | 1   |
Illustrator | Francis Hayman |
Engraver | G. V. Neist |
Lithographer | |
Title Caption | |
Title Supplied | Truth (Athena) and Comedy knock down the buildings of Knight Errant Novels |
Part | Part I, Madrid 1605 |
Chapter | 02. Frontispiece |
Subject |
02.3 Allegorical/symbolic representations |
Illustration Type |
Frontispiece |
Technique |
Burin engraving |
Color | Black and white |
Volume | I |
Page Number | f. title page |
Image Dimension | 131 x 76 |
Page Dimension | 160 x 95 |
Commentary | In the foreground, Comedy (with comedy mask and sword) knocks down a gothic castle protected by a dragon (Knight Errant Books, Gothic literature); from a tower of this castle, a dwarf blows a horn (reference to chapter 2:1).
In the background, in front of a classical temple, Athena (Wisdom or Truth with a shining shield) pushes away a deformed dwarf, a four-armed Moorish and a pair of shadows (don Quixote and Dulcinea or doña Rodríguez? Durandarte and Belerma?). This frontispiece continues the liking for allegorical frontispieces that began with Coypel (Paris: Surugue, 1723 - 1724) and with Vanderbank (London: Tonson, 1738). Despite some light faults, engraving and drawing are very remarkable. |
Notes | 1 – Copy in reduced format after Grignion's plate with Hayman’s design for London: Millar, 1755.
2 – Same plate first engraved for London: T. Osborne, 1761 (2nd edition of T. Smollet’s translation). |