Picturing Barnaby Rudge: The Authorized and the Extra Illustrations

Abstract:

This article explores the function and significance of "extra-illustrations" by discussing the steel-engraved plates of two episodes in Barnaby Rudge by Thomas Sibson (1817–44) in relation to Hablot Knight Browne's (1815–82) wood-engravings of the same scenes. While Browne's designs are carefully integrated into the text by meticulous placement, Sibson's plates were intended to stand alone in a frame or collector's portfolio. Browne take us deeper into the story by intensifying the drama of the moment, whereas Sibson often makes allusions that take the viewer beyond the narrative. The comparison between Sibson's and Browne's methods reveals a range of issues pertaining to British illustration culture and practices of the 1840s, showing particularly how the differences in form, mode, timing of issue, the presence or absence of captions, and the circumstances of display affected reception.