Cabinet 15: 1800's English 'Vignette' Initials
"In the 18th and 19th centuries the initial letter often degenerated into the 'vignette', showing a pictorially decorative or attractive subject for its own sake…" so writes Alfred Bellaire, in describing what he sees as the final phase of the decorative printed initial. The initials shown here, coincidentally both W's, in Vanity Fair and The Newcomes could be seen to exemplify the vignette approach to the decorated initial. As both depict scenes, they are also reminiscent of the earlier historiated initials. The W in The Newcomes is represented by twisted tree branches and is integral to scene, while the W in Vanity Fair is a clearly recognisable letter that has been incorporated into the upper-right corner of the scene.
William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair : a novel without a hero. London : Bradbury and Evans, 1848. DeBeer Eb 1848 T
William MakepeaceThackeray, The Newcomes; memoirs of a most respectable family. London, Bradbury & Evans, [1854-55]. DeBeer Eb 1855 T
The design of this O is also reminiscent of the tradition of inhabited historiated initials. All three items in this cabinet were published by Bradbury and Evans. The history of Pendennis, Vanity Fair and The Necombes all contain illustrations on steel and wood by William Makepeace Thackeray. All three titles were Bradbury and Evans's best selling works (Shillingsburg).