Don Quixote 

Gustave Doré created this engraving of Don Quixote sometime in the mid-19th century, capturing a poignant moment of vulnerability. Doré, working in a time of burgeoning industrialization and social upheaval, often depicted scenes of struggle and the marginalized. Here, we see Quixote not as the valiant knight, but as an aging man, weary after his misadventures, here the battle with the cat. There’s a palpable sense of exhaustion in his slumped posture and the deep lines etched on his face. The romanticism of the knight errant is stripped away, replaced by a stark realism that speaks to the human condition. Doré masterfully uses light and shadow to emphasize the emotional weight of the scene. The stark contrast heightens the sense of drama and introspection. How does this image challenge or reinforce your understanding of heroism and identity?