Hugh Thomson, Victorian Illustrator of Evelina

Not too long ago I was looking for a proper hardcover copy of Evelina. My, are they hard to come by!  I found the perfect one, it just happens to be a rare copy, difficult to come by.  It was also published in 1903.

The illustrations are done by the talented Hugh Thomson who was no stranger to Austen's work.  It's difficult to find the illustrations online but here are a few that I have come across.

Fragonard's Dangerous Liaisons

Before we had Glenn Close to exercise her great acting skills in the film, Dangerous Liaisons, there was the novel, Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos. The book was published in multiple volumes in 1782 and was popular due to the scandalous content. Of course the content was probably only scandalous to those who weren't aware of just how true to life it could be!

When the 1796 edition of the book came out it had its own version of a star-studded cast. The saucy painter, Fragonard was a perfect pick for an illustrator. He was well-known, his art sensual, and his pencil could tell a story. Here are some of his illustrations for Liaisons Dangereuses.