First Illustrated Edition of Frankenstein

First Illustrated Edition of Frankenstein

Creature

The first illustrated edition of Frankenstein was published by Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley in London in 1831, thirteen years after the novel was first published. The publishers commissioned Theodor Von Host, a protege of Henry Fuseli, to create two images. He chose the creature's awakening as the frontispiece (pictured above) and Victor Frankenstein's departure from home for university. The publisher Colburn and Bentley incorporated Shelley's novel into their new "Standard Novels" series. This series republished three decker novels in single volumes with illustrations, making them an attractive and affordable purchase for the growing middle class.

By including Shelley's novel in this popular series and adding illustrations, Colburn and Bentley began the ongoing process of visualizing or embodying Shelley's vague description of the creature. As the first of countless renderings of the monster, this drawing serves as a foundation for all the comic, video, and film monsters that followed.

JoEllen DeLucia

This image come from the British Library's website (https://www.britishlibrary.cn/en/works/frankenstein/).

Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley

1831

English

Novel

Print