Illustrations by Harry W. McVickar, found in An International Episode by Henry James

Illustrations by Harry W. McVickar, found in An International Episode by Henry James

Harry McVickar drew 30 illustrations for the second edition of An International Episode, published in 1892. Of those images, 12 depict women and 13 depict men. What stands out the most is the difference in body language between McVickar’s portrayal of the sexes. While many of the women McVickar draws have their bodies facing away from the reader, there is not one man he draws with the same stance. Some men he depicts are facing to the side, however no man has his back turned entirely. This could imply that women have something to hide, or do not possess the same capacity for pellucidity that men do. On page 37, McVickar illustrates Mrs. Westgate. Her full body is in view, but her back is entirely to the reader. The lack of openness characteristic of this image could be symbolic of her unavailability, because she is a married woman. The only other full body images of women offered in this text are on pages 51 and 71. The image on page 51 is titled “The Pretty Sister of Mrs. Westgate.” The image on page 71 is titled “Two Pretty Girls.” If the only full-body images of women throughout the whole book consist of people that are explicitly deemed attractive, this could signify that McVickar feels that being an attractive woman makes you, symbolically, a fuller person. Although the image on page 37 is titled, simply “Mrs. Westgate,” and there is no explicit mention of her being attractive, McVickar may also be implying that she is a fuller person through a marriage to a man. Thus all of these women are superior to the illustrations of other women because they have already succeeded in attracting a man, or are deemed as having the potential to, as implied by their physical appearance. On page 121, the Duchess of Suffolk and Lord Chamberlain are portrayed. Although both of these titles indicate superior social standing, the duchess has her back turned to the reader, and the lord does not, although they are both looking to the right. On page 18, there are 8 different drawings of men and not one has their back to the reader. Furthermore, the only woman in the entire book who is looking directly at the reader is on page 44. The image is titled “The Web Lambeth is Warned Against,” and shows a woman at the center of the web, symbolizing a spider who spins her prey, men, in her web, consuming them. This could mean that McVickar believes that men are victim to women’s allurement, and become trapped by them.

Harry W. McVickar

Manhattan College, Fales Collection

Harper & Brothers

1892

Illustrations found in An International Episode

Illustrations