Jean Gradassi's Hedonistic Illustrations For The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane
Alain René Le Sage’s L’Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane (The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, 1715–1735), a four-volume picaresque novel, remains a milestone of French literature and a key influence on later writers, notably Tobias Smollett. In the preface to his own debut novel, The Adventures of Roderick Random (1748), Smollett acknowledges having “modeled” his narrative on Le Sage’s work, praising Gil Blas for its insightful and humorous depiction of “the knavery and foibles of life.”
Panoramic Satire
Gil Blas follows the witty and philosophical title character through a series of colorful adventures that expose the hypocrisies of 18th-century society. His journey—spanning encounters with nobles, rogues, scholars, and charlatans—offers a panoramic satire of social institutions and human vanity. Smollett’s English translation of Gil Blas, published shortly after Roderick Random, is still regarded as the finest. Though not always literal, it captures the novel’s tone, energy, and spirit with remarkable fidelity.
Creative Breakthrough
For Smollett, translating Gil Blas was more than literary work—it was a formative exercise. Struggling to find his voice in medicine, poetry, and drama, he finally discovered his creative breakthrough in fiction, using the lessons from Gil Blas to craft his own lively and original narratives.
Jean Gradassi
The edition of "Gil Blas", in honor of the bicentenary, published in 1948 by Edmond Vairel was illustrated by the prolific French illustrator Jean Gradassi (1907 - 1989). During his artistic career, Gradassi developed a distinctive illustrative style characterized by intricate detail, historical flair, and vibrant crowd scenes. Born in Antibes into a military family, his travels across France and North Africa nurtured his fascination with costume, architecture, and the decorative arts—particularly the miniaturist traditions of India and China. Gradassi's work focuses on medieval and romantic French history, often depicting bustling scenes filled with characters engaged in various trades and festivities.
Fig.1 Le Capitaine Fracasse (1947) by Jean Gradassi
Humorous Nudity
His first major commission, illustrating Le Capitaine Fracasse in 1947 (fig.1), set the stage for a prolific career. Over the next three decades, he produced more than sixty illustrated editions—some multi-volume—totaling over a hundred books. His often risqué yet humorous depictions of nudity, combined with rich historical detail, have made his work both collectible and polarizing—charming some with its comic exuberance while others find it excessively ornate.
Below you can find a selection of the riskier illustrations Gradassi produced for the 1948-edition of "Gil Blas...
Fig.2 Illustrated inner sheet "Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane" (1948) by Jean Gradassi
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Click HERE for the spicy illustrations made for The Perverted Peasants by the skillful Jacques Touchet
Sources: blaizot.com, ugapress.org,
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