Don Quixote embraces Sancho before the squire leaves for the Island of Barataria 1781

Curator: This engraving, by Augustin de Saint-Aubin, captures the poignant moment when Don Quixote embraces Sancho Panza before he departs for the Island of Barataria. Editor: It’s a bittersweet image, isn't it? There's such formality to the setting, yet the embrace itself feels so tender and full of unspoken emotion. I wonder what's going through their minds? Curator: Well, the work itself would've been achieved through careful layering of etched lines, translating a complex narrative into a reproducible image for wider distribution. Think about the economics of printmaking at the time. Editor: Right. And seeing it now, I’m struck by the artist's delicate handling of the figures. The gestures feel charged with affection, even within such a constructed social scene. Curator: Exactly. Saint-Aubin was clearly a master of capturing social dynamics, using the print medium to circulate these tales. Editor: It makes you think about how stories travel, how they’re shaped by hands and machines, and how that changes their meaning. Food for thought!