Portret van Honoré de Balzac en negen voorstellingen uit zijn werken 1834

Victor Adam’s 1834 lithograph, “Portret van Honoré de Balzac en negen voorstellingen uit zijn werken” (Portrait of Honoré de Balzac and nine representations of his works), features a central portrait of the famous French writer. Surrounding the portrait are nine vignettes depicting scenes from Balzac’s novels. Each vignette is accompanied by a brief caption in French identifying the scene. The piece is a fine example of the popularity of Balzac’s writing in 19th-century France. It can be found in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, and measures 355mm by 268mm. The work offers a unique glimpse into the literary world of the 19th century. The combination of portraiture and illustrative scenes is a common feature in the visual arts of this era.