Don Quixote and Sancho Setting Out
Although it was published in the 17th century, Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote was still very popular during the time Gustave Dore was chosen to illustrate the book in the 1860’s. His depiction of the farcical Quixote and the short and paunchy Sancho Panza became so famous that they influenced entire generations of readers. The images he created depicting Quixote, Panza, and the other characters through their episodes became so popular that they became the standard for the way in which people viewed the characters in the book. Further stage and film publications, as well as public image, were all based on Dore’s depiction of Quixote’s physical appearance.
