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  • Tags: sky

Facing Frontispiece and Title Page Vignette of Volume 2 of the 1853 James Nisbet "Author's Edition" Reprint Depicting the Ox Cart and the Ship

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These black and white illustrations, appearing as the frontispiece and title page vignette to volume 2 of the 1853 James Nisbet "Author's Edition" reprint, depicts the ox cart and a ship at sea. The frontispiece depicts depicts Ellen riding in the ox cart as Mr. Van Brunt walks alongside the oxen. Mr. Van Brunt holds up a whip as Ellen sits in a chair in the ox cart looking around her. The landscape surrounding the ox cart is bleak as bare trees hang over the path, and the dark sky contrasts the white ground, suggesting cold weather. The bleak landscape seems to suggest Ellen's apprehension upon leaving Thirlwall in the ox cart as Mr. Van Brunt guides her to her Aunt Fortune's house. The title page vignette depicts a large ship on a dark, rough sea. The ship is heading towards the horizon as the sun rises. The pairing of these illustrations compares two modes of travel that appear in the novel, both suggesting a journey to an unfamiliar location.

Subjects: Ship, The Ox Cart, Ellen, Mr. Van Brunt

Identifier: 3WIS_14_16