George Cruikshank and the Illustrations for Oliver Twist: How the Illustrations Convey Themes

Abstract

The aim is to present how illustrations related to narratives are artistic objects that demonstrate various possibilities of investigation, including the transfer of themes, cultures, and methodologies. The analysis was developed through George Cruikshank's illustrations for the first edition of Oliver Twist, published in the literary magazine Bentley’s Miscellany in 1837 and, in Brazil, by Editora Melhoramentos in the 1950s. To understand them, the study followed the artist's life and career, seeking to comprehend how external factors—especially his relationship with Charles Dickens—directly influenced the composition, decisions regarding which scenes should be engraved, and at what points in the story. With the creative context established, we will demonstrate the changes between editions and the journey through England, France, and Brazil that allowed Cruikshank's illustrations to begin circulating in Brazil.