Bandontwerp voor: Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's reizen naar Liliput en andere vreemde landen, c. 1889-1904 c. 1889 - 1904

Willem Steelink created this pen and ink drawing around the turn of the century as a cover design for Jonathan Swift's *Gulliver's Travels*. The composition is dominated by Gulliver's large form, carefully laid out and strapped to a wheeled platform, in contrast to the Lilliputian figures and horses pulling him. The artist uses line work to create texture and volume. Notice the parallel lines on Gulliver’s clothing and the dense hatching that defines the landscape. This interplay between size and scale destabilizes our conventional understanding of power dynamics, mirroring Swift's own satirical inversions. The detailed, almost scientific, rendering of Gulliver and his transportation system creates a tension between the real and the absurd, highlighting how representational strategies can manipulate perspective. Consider how this functions not just aesthetically but also as part of Swift's broader narrative about humanity and the structures we create.