Illustration to Tristram Shandy, II Th., p.57: Horseman Befouls a Fallen Man with Mud 18th-19th century

Curator: This is Daniel Berger’s "Illustration to Tristram Shandy," an engraving designed to accompany Sterne’s famously eccentric novel. Editor: My first thought? Claustrophobia! The room seems to press in on these figures. And the crosshatching gives it a gritty texture, doesn't it? Curator: Absolutely. The material reality of the etching—the labor and skill involved in translating text to image—grounds the scene. Look at the lines defining the floor tiles; they feel almost oppressive. Editor: And the figures, each locked in their own little drama. The seated man seems to be in distress, while the others...well, they seem to be reveling in it. Human comedy at its most awkward. Curator: It's a study in power dynamics, isn't it? Berger used the relatively new medium of the engraving to bring this novel to life and perhaps reflect something of the power structure of his time. Editor: It makes you wonder about Sterne's intentions, about Berger's, about our own fascination with discomfort. There's a strange, dark humor that resonates. Curator: Yes, a certain bleakness alongside the humor makes it very intriguing.