Forthcoming Exhibitions
The Wonder of Don Quixote
Leigh Scott Gallery, Baillieu Library, 8 December 2009 to 9 February 2010
Many of us are familiar with Don Quixote as an opera or a ballet production. The characters and narrative are so appealing that they continue to evoke a response today, some four centuries after the story first appeared, in a novel by Miguel Cervantes (1547–1616). El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha (The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote of La Mancha) was published in 1605 and before Cervantes published the second book which completed the novel in 1615, a spurious version had already appeared. Don Quixote is one of the world’s most widely translated, sold and illustrated books, and the narrative is frequently adapted and performed, signifying its universal fascination. Drawing upon the diverse collections within the University of Melbourne, this exhibition will display just some of the many interpretations and versions of this wondrous narrative and its characters. It will explore such themes as Don Quixote’s Spain, Don Quixote in print, the inspiration of Don Quixote and Don Quixote for children.