Illustration to Roderick Random, by Tobias Smollett c. 1760

Francis Hayman made this illustration for Tobias Smollett’s novel, Roderick Random, in the 18th century. It depicts a scene of courtship between a young man and woman. Smollett's novels, like those of his contemporary Henry Fielding, aimed to portray the social realities of the time. They often included characters from various social classes and explored themes of social mobility, morality, and the impact of urban life on individuals. Hayman's illustrations reflect this focus, capturing the nuances of social interactions and the settings in which they occurred. The presence of such imagery served to further legitimize and popularize the novel, cementing its place within the evolving literary canon of the time. To fully appreciate this illustration, you might investigate the changing role of the artist within British society, the rise of novel-writing, and the emergence of new forms of visual culture. The social and institutional contexts are critical to our understanding of art.