Charles Robert Leslie

Sancho Panza in the Apartment of the Duchess

1843–4, exhibited 1844

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Not on display

Artist: Charles Robert Leslie 1794–1859
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions: Support: 1219 × 1524 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Presented by Robert Vernon 1847
Reference: N00402

Display caption

The Romantics prized the Spanish writer, Cervantes, for his celebration of the wisdom of folly in his romance Don Quixote of La Mancha 1605-15. The Don has absurd adventures imitating the deeds of heroes he has read about. He is assisted by his squire, Sancho Panza, who also provides a wry commentary on them.Here Sancho confides his private view of his master to a Duchess: ‘I cannot beat it out of my noddle, but that he is as mad as a march hare.’ This is a second version of a subject Leslie exhibited, to great acclaim, in 1824.

Gallery label, May 2007

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