We find the first occurrence of this idea in Walter Scott’s novel The Bride of Lammermoor from 1819. At the end of the first chapter, Richard Tinto, a painter, talks with Peter Pattieson, a writer and the narrator of the novel, about the possibility of “an ornamented and illustrated edition, with heads, vignettes, and culs de lampe” of his texts (36). This prompts a discussion about the differences between writing and painting, with the writer stressing that painting is a silent art. Ultimately, to inspire the writer, the painter produces a sketch; however, the writer cannot comprehend it:
“I admired the sketch exceedingly; but that to understand its full merit, I felt it absolutely necessary to be informed of the subject.” (39)
Pattieson is only able to “decipher” the sketch after reading some notes shared by Tinto. In this manner, for Pattieson, illustrations are limited in their communication of information and require the support of words: by themselves, images convey no clear meaning.
Works Cited
Scott, Walter. The Bride of Lammermoor. Electric Book Co., 2001.
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