Picturing Les Liaisons Dangereuses: Eighteenth‐Century Illustrations of Laclos's Novel

Abstract

AbstractLaclos never commissioned illustrations for Les Liaisons dangereuses (1782). Nevertheless, a set of prints destined to be framed and four series of illustrations to accompany editions of the book came out during his lifetime. The artists – not all of whom can be identified – vary in the choice of scenes they represent. There are also two allegorical frontispieces which show that the text can be interpreted as a tragic moral tale. The engravings range from the libertine to the demure, from crudely sketched small plates to exquisitely delineated large prints. They offer precious insights into the contemporary reception of the novel.