An engraving by
Gustave Doré of a scene from
Miguel de Cervantes's
Don Quixote, the most influential work of literature from the
Spanish Golden Age in the Spanish literary canon. The scene illustrated here occurs early in the novel, when Alonso Quixano (Quixote's real name) has become obsessed with books of
chivalry, and believes their every word to be true, despite the fact that many of the events in them are clearly impossible.
Don Quixote was published in two separate volumes, ten years apart. It is considered a founding work of modern
Western literature, and it regularly appears high on lists of the greatest works of fiction ever published.
Restoration: Adam Cuerden