Sketches for Tristram Shandy (recto); Sketches of Medallion with Seated Allegorical Figure (verso) 1796 - 1834

Thomas Stothard sketched these ideas for Laurence Sterne’s novel “Tristram Shandy” using graphite on paper. Stothard lived and worked in late 18th and early 19th century England, a time when literature and art were frequently intertwined. This was an era in which artists often found employment illustrating popular books, and the Royal Academy provided an institutional framework for artistic training and exhibition. “Tristram Shandy”, with its innovative narrative structure, was ripe for visual interpretation, and Stothard, as a successful artist, was keen to capitalize on its popularity. These sketches provide insight into the artist's creative process, revealing how he translated Sterne's literary conceits into visual form. Studying the publishing history of “Tristram Shandy” and Stothard's other illustrations can reveal the social and cultural values that shaped both literature and art in Georgian England.