[bust of Machiavelli] · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: [bust of Machiavelli]
Subject: Kings and rulers; fictional works; Brobdingnag (Imaginary Place); imaginary places
Period: 1800-1850;
Description: Here we see a portrait of Niccolò Machiavelli, the early sixteenth century Italian humanist who became famous for his book The Prince, in which Machiavelli describes the characteristics that make a successful Renaissance Prince. These characteristics often tended to be rather violent. The image is recalling Machiavelli’s ruthlessness while Gulliver describes gunpowder to the King of Brobdingnag. Machiavelli holds a book with “Machiavel” written on it the French version of ‘Machiavelli’. The term “Machiavel” in English is used to reference someone who shares the same values as Machiavelli, often meaning to value efficiency and personal advantage over morality. The King of Brobdingnag sees Gulliver and his description of European war and politics as Machiavellian. The same image appears in the 1843 Krabbe edition.
Image Creator: Grandville (Illustrator)
Type: StillImage; Book Illustrations
Identifier: mta:20942
Language: ger
Source Name: Gulliver's Reisen in unbekannte Länder
Parent Collection: 1839 Stuttgart Grandville vol. 1; 1839 Stuttgart Grandville vol. 1
Image: mta_20942_OBJ.png
Collection: Gulliver's Travels
Subject: Kings and rulers; fictional works; Brobdingnag (Imaginary Place); imaginary places