Don Quixote 

Editor: This is an engraving by Gustave Dore, depicting a scene from Don Quixote. The dark ink strokes and detailed linework show Don Quixote having fallen in defeat, and I'm immediately struck by how… pathetic he looks! What do you make of it? Curator: Pathetic, perhaps. But I see something else too - a beautiful rendition of defeat but with his characteristic hat on the floor. He's surrounded, almost mocked, by these finely dressed onlookers, isn't he? Dore really captures the public humiliation, wouldn’t you say? Almost operatic in its theatricality. Is it tragedy or comedy, I wonder? Editor: Absolutely, it does feel staged somehow. All the finery and that crowded composition…so you see this as a comment on society's reaction to Don Quixote's ideals? Curator: Precisely! Dore understood the nuances, the bitter sting of rejection that comes when one's ideals clash with reality. But I do think Dore doesn’t just portray the mockery. The artist’s skills give him an air of dignity, still holding a lance and shield with broken wooden shafts. It almost seems a pity rather than something truly shameful. Do you catch that? Editor: I do now that you mention it! Even in defeat, he retains some sense of honor… I didn't quite see that before. This piece really makes you think about the line between heroism and foolishness. Curator: That’s right! And the power of art lies in sparking those questions. Every gaze brings a fresh meaning into its subject and object alike. Editor: It’s amazing how much a new perspective can change the way you see a piece. I definitely appreciate Don Quixote’s character… and Dore's skills much more.