Broadside with 48 scenes from the life of the Count of Monte Cristo

Art Historical Context

Step into the dramatic world of Alexandre Dumas' *The Count of Monte Cristo* with this captivating 1860 broadside by Spanish artist José María Marés. This wood engraving masterfully compresses the novel's epic tale of betrayal, imprisonment, and revenge into 48 intricate vignettes, arranged across a single sheet measuring 17⅛ × 12¼ inches. From the unjust arrest of Edmond Dantès to his transformation into the enigmatic Count and triumphant vengeance against soldiers, prisoners, and tormentors, the scenes pulse with themes of suffering, resilience, and justice—evident in the tags of men locked in chains, battle-worn figures, and shadowed faces of despair. Wood engraving, a pinnacle of 19th-century printmaking, allowed Marés to achieve remarkable detail and tonal depth on wood blocks, enabling affordable mass production for a voracious public hungry for serialized adventures. Popularized after Dumas' 1844 novel exploded across Europe, such broadsides served as visual "cheat sheets" for illiterate audiences or quick story recaps, blending narrative comics with propaganda-style posters. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (acquired via the Max G. Wildnauer Fund in 1978), this rare print highlights the era's fusion of literature and visual culture, offering a window into how popular fiction fueled mass media before film. A testament to storytelling's timeless power!

About the Artist

José María Marés · 1850–1870

José María Marés was a Spanish printer, publisher, and broadside producer active in Madrid from approximately 1850 to 1870. Operating first from addresses on the Calle de Relatores and later from the Plazuela de la Cebada under the imprint Imprenta de Marés y Compañía, he ran one of the more prolific popular-print establishments in mid-nineteenth-century Madrid. His presses produced illustrated br...