Truth Before the King
Date1900
Artist
Howard Pyle
(American illustrator, 1853–1911)
Illustration Citation"The Pilgrimage of Truth," by Erik Bogh, Harper's Monthly Magazine, December 1900.
MediumOil on wood panel
Dimensions12 x 7 3/4 in. (30.5 x 19.7 cm)
frame: 20 1/2 x 25 3/4 in. (52.1 x 65.4 cm)
frame: 20 1/2 x 25 3/4 in. (52.1 x 65.4 cm)
Credit LineMuseum Purchase, 1912
Object number1912-18
On View
Not on viewClassificationsPAINTING
Label TextIn this allegorical story, Truth descends from her heavenly kingdom to earth, where she meets various characters in her wanderings. The jewel-like colors and imposing figures of a royal court (with the court jester laughing in the right background) contrast with the simplicity and calmness of Truth. Because then-new color printing techniques were not successful, Pyle had to recreate these images in ink for reproduction in the magazine.
