The Student. The Canterbury Tales. New York, 1945.

SZYK, Arthur. The Second Nun. The Canterbury Tales. Signed and Dated “Arthur Szyk, N.Y. 1945”. Watercolor and gouache on paper. Sheet size: 7″ x 5 1/2″.   Image size: 6″ x 3″. Very Good condition.

Although Arthur Szyk is known mainly for his political cartoons and religious illuminations, he produced a rich variety of literary illustrations, costume designs, and book covers during his prolific career. The Canterbury Tales is a notable and well-loved work in Szyk’s oeuvre and encompasses some of his most compelling secular illustrations. In these drawings, the viewer can appreciate Szyk’s background in costume design, as well as his ability to create drawings that allude to a larger narrative structure.

In this particular work, Szyk presents “The Student,” (sometimes referred to as “the clerk”). He stands in a posture of oration, palm raised towards the viewer as he recounts his tale about the Marquis Walter and his humble bride Griselde. The patches on his knees and elbows are a clue to the viewer that he is a young man of modest means. Around his belt he carries a few quills and provisions, as well as a small dagger. The spurs on his shoes indicate that he is travelling by horseback. In contrast to other illustrations of this theme, Szyk envisions the student standing alone, without his steed. Many other illustrations of the same character picture him on horseback. Szyk skillfully alludes to this tradition, while managing to omit the horse from the composition.

Overall, this drawing is a lushly imagined character sketch, rendered with Szyk’s customary attention to detail. He delights in every aspect of the Student’s garb, no matter how plain. His many illustrations for The Canterbury Tales provide fertile ground for the reader’s imagination and serve to further enhance the richness of Chaucer’s text.

Provenance: Parke Bernet Sale, New York, Mrs. Arthur Szyk, March 26, 1959. Lot 15.

Exhibition History: M. Knoedler & Company, Inc., New York, August 26–September 13, 1946; The Polish Arts Club, The Butler Institute, Youngstown, Ohio, February 2–23, 1947; The Jewish Museum, New York, October 24–December 4, 1952; Laing Galleries, Toronto, January 9–30, 1954; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Palace of the Legion of Honor, December 4, 2010–March 27, 2011.

Publishing History: The Canterbury Tales. New York: The Limited Editions Club, 1946.