The Spy
1870s
In this rustic scene, a housekeeper sits reading a book while a man peers over her shoulder, holding a long tallow candle to cast a 'feeble light' on the page. This illustration, titled 'The Spy,' comes from an 1870s edition of James Fenimore Cooper's famous Revolutionary War novel. The artist, F.O.C. Darley, was the premier American illustrator of his day, famous for visualizing Cooper's stories. The caption below, written in period dialect, adds a lively narrative voice, showing the man urging the woman to examine the volume closely. It’s a wonderful example of how 19th-century engravings brought literature to life for readers.
- Technique
- Engraving
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