Illustrated Robinsons

One reason for the immense popularity of Robinson Crusoe were the richly illustrated editions the novel as well as retellings for young readers. The covers and spines of the books often show immediately recognisable moments from the novel, while the text is interspersed with vividly imagined scenes full of colour and detail. The publishing history of Robinson Crusoe and its adaptations is a fascinating tour through the history of book illustrations.

Engraving, showing two men with muskets and a dog, who are standing between palm trees and fruit trees and looking up to some monkeys.
Engraving of the first English edition of The Swiss Family Robinson (1821), illustrated by Daniel D. Burgdorfer and Johann Heinrich Lips.

The Swiss Family Robinson is a beautiful example through which we can explore the history of illustrations. This retelling for young readers by Johnathan David Wyss was written in 1812 as a response to the worldwide success of Robinson Crusoe. It quickly gained popularity in England, France and Germany. It is a story of a Swiss family that sets off to the South Pacificto start a new life. A violent storm wrecks the ship before they reach their destination, yet they are providentially rescued and find themselves on a deserted island. They industriously organise themselves and soon grow so fond of the island to name it “New Switzerland”. Some members of the family decide to return to Europe in the end, but the rest remain on the island.

The story had a didactic purpose and was directed at young readers. Part of the appeal were undoubtedly the many colourful illustrations that increased in number and imaginative detail with each edition. Early editions featured illustrations that kept realistic conventions, reflecting the realist literary style in which the original novel was written. The technique of these first illustrations was etching, which allowed for preserving a truthful depiction of shadow and light, giving more depth to the images, while also depicting details. The original etchings by Daniel D. Burgdorfer and Johann Heinrich Lips were reproduced many times, well into the 21st century. In the late 19th century, illustrations in colour started to appear. First, these were copperplate engravings painted over with watercolours. Later, etchings became obsolete, and artists used different mediums.

Engraving. In the centre: two men with muskets. Next to them: a monkey riding a dog.
“Bring home the monkey” as a black and white engraving from an edition from 1840, and a coloured edition from 1879.
Engraving, colourised. A man and a boy with muskets walk next to a dog, on the back of which a monkey rides.
“Bring home the monkey” as a black and white engraving from an edition from 1840, and a coloured edition from 1879.

A drastic change in illustrative style occurred around the time of the Second World War: illustrators abandoned the traditional way of portraying the Robinson Family and began depicting them in a fashion deemed better suited for children. The style of illustrations became more simple, idealised, idyllic. The realist convention was replaced by illustrations that aimed at presenting the island as a friendly place: the colours are bright and vivid, the images more inviting, which probably made the illustrations more attractive to the young reader. While the images still create a sense of adventure, nothing in this world is problematic or dangerous.

Coloured print. A man and a boy stand next to a small river.
“No trace of man appeared”, from a modern edition, illustrated by T.H. Robinson (2012).
Coloured print, showing a procession of people, led by a boy next to a donkey that is pulling a wooden plan, followed by a man with a musket, then two boys, in the back a woman and a man, finally a dog and a monkey.
“A grand family excursion”, illustrated by Jeanne Edwards for an edition from 1947.

The two dominant themes that keep recurring through various editions of The Swiss Family Robinson over the last two centuries are portrayals of nature and the domestication of the island. The first editions from the early 19th century depict the flora and fauna of the island in an almost scientific fashion: they are realistic and often provide the nomenclature of the species depicted.

Robinson-Library. Engraving of a sturgeon, from an edition from 1891, edited by W.H.G. Kingston (illustrator unknown).
Illustration of a sturgeon, from an edition from 1891, edited by W.H.G. Kingston (illustrator unknown).
Engraving of a porcupine (hystrix cristata), from an edition from 1891, edited by W.H.G. Kingston (illustrator unknown).
Illustration of a porcupine (hystrix cristata), from an edition from 1891, edited by W.H.G. Kingston (illustrator unknown).

Later editions are more imaginative in their portrayal, focusing on conveying a certain sense of adventure or mystery that is to be found in the island’s nature. The second, even more prevalent, theme found in all editions is the domestication of the island. The earliest illustrations from the 1800s present the Robinson family as colonisers. We see gentlemen in top hats and gloves in the middle of a jungle. Depicted during hunting, accompanied by dogs, Robinson and his sons are presented on these illustrations as wealthy landowners engaged in the typical pastime of the English gentry.

Hunting scene, in the centre a boar standing over a lying man, while simultaneously being bitten by three hounds and a bird. On the left there are two hunters with muskets and pistols.
Hunting scene from a French edition from 1814 (illustrated by Charles Abraham Chasselat).

Modern editions still portray the family as industriously establishing order on the island, yet their relation to the land has changed. They are now depicted as countryside people leading a life of simple comforts, and work is one of their pleasures. The Robinson family is shown performing various tasks familiar from the original novel: they hunt and fish, construct the tools they need, build a bridge or ladder to climb a tall tree, or domesticate animals of the island.

Image shows a procession of people, lead by a woman with a basket and a man with a musket, behind them a donkey that is being ridden by a girls, in the back hree further people.
Frontispiece of an edition from c.1900 (illustrator: James Finemore).
Image shows two men on a boat as they try to catch or hunt a turtle.
„Catching a turtle“, coloured lithography from an English edition from 1872 (illustrator unknown).
Image shows a boy who is laying planks on two wooden beams.
Building a bridge with planks, coloured print from a modern edition, illustrated by T.H. Robinson (2012).
Family Robinson are building a treehouse and attaching a sailing cloth, surrounded by many animals.
Family Robinson are building a treehouse and attaching a sailing cloth. From a French edition from 1937, by Marguerite Reynier, illustrated by Pierre Noury.

The latest portrayals in the archive show the family as contemporary adventurers. The family looks distinctly modern in their clothing and activities. There is no more violence depicted and the relationship with the island and its nature is presented in more innocent way. Even though these elements thus disappear from the images, they are nevertheless still present in the corresponding texts and stories.

The image shows a boy riding a cow next to a woman.
„Our cow has become the favorite mount of little Franz“, from a French edition from 1984 (illustrators: Charles Simond und Paul-Adolphe Van Cleemputtel).
The Swiss Family Robinson is carrying an iguana.
The Swiss Family Robinson is carrying an iguana, from an edition form 1957 illustrated by Mervyn Peake. The corresponding thext in the edition describes how they eat the iguana: after partaking of part of the iguana—the flesh of which we found excellent—we retired to our hammocks among the branches“ (p. 105).

Text: Anna Lopata

Sources:

  • Blewett, David. “The Iconic Crusoe: Illustrations and Images of Robinson Crusoe“. In The Cambridge Companion to Robinson Crusoe, ed. by John Richetti. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018. 159–190.