First Illustrated Edition of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
The first illustrated edition and the third edition overall of Frankenstein, with revisions by the author, including a new introduction relating the work's origin story. The engraved frontispiece illustration shows the monster coming to life - the first published illustration of the creature in an English edition of Frankenstein. This is the famous scene of Frankenstein coming to life in the lab. The illustration is by Theodor Von Holst (1810-1844), a talented artist, the son of Russian émigré parents, and was engraved by William Chevalier. The added title has an engraving captioned "The day of my departure at length arrived."
The introduction in this edition includes an account of how in 1816, at the Villa Diodati in Switzerland, a group including Percy Shelley, Byron and his physician John Polidori, were prompted by Lord Byron to write a ghost story, a romance of the supernatural. Polidori wrote The Vampyre, Byron began but never finished his narrative, and Mary Shelley produced Frankenstein - a masterpiece that transcended the gothic genre, stepping over into the realm of science fiction.
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein holds enduring literary and cultural significance as a classic work of Gothic literature, exploring themes of ambition, creation, and societal rejection. Recent interpretations of the novel often connect its themes to contemporary issues such as bioethics, artificial intelligence, and environmental destruction. The tale of Victor Frankenstein's hubristic pursuit of scientific knowledge and his creation of a sentient being resonates with modern debates surrounding technology's impact on humanity and the ethical implications of scientific advancement. Moreover, the societal rejection and isolation experienced by Frankenstein's creature mirror current discussions on marginalization, empathy, and the consequences of othering. As such, Frankenstein continues to captivate audiences with its timeless relevance, prompting reflections on the complexities of human nature and the perils of unchecked ambition.
Holst's Frankenstein
The frontispiece illustration condenses much intricate detail into a small space, incorporating themes of mortality and modernity. Holst embellishes the scene to highlight the importance of science, adding scientific instruments not mentioned in the novel. Positioned above the creature's head they form what could almost be a crown of throrns; their position atop a stone backrest suggests a tombstone. The setting, Victor's study in Ingolstadt, is clarified through details like a bookcase, subtly referencing Goethe's Faust. The open book near the creature's hand serves as a narrative device, Victor's lab-diary from which the creature learns his life-story and discovers his creator. This adds another layer of intertextuality to an already rich narrative.
London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, 1831.
Issued as the ninth volume of Bentley's Standard Novels series, the volume also contains Friedrich Schiller's Ghost-Seer (volume I only). Frankenstein was first published in three volumes in 1818, the second edition appearing in 1823.
Rarity
This first illustrated Frankenstein is very rare in the market.