Illustration

Article Summary

The first section clarifies the notion of illustration by presenting a necessary condition on something being an illustration, namely that it be related to something of which it is the illustration. The next section introduces the notion of a canonical illustration, one that is as fundamental as the text whose story it illustrates. Henry James’ view that illustrations do not belong in literary works for adults is then criticised. Finally, I discuss attempts to illustrate philosophy, considering the frontispiece to Hobbes’ Leviathan and Joseph Kosuth’s 276. (On Color Blue).