A Dangerous Colleague
Title
A Dangerous Colleague
Alt Text Description
Grayscale illustration of two cloaked men conversing in the street. One has their hand on the other’s shoulder who raises his finger to his mouth.
Description
In the street outside Nello’s barbershop, Dolfo Spini, marked by his red feather, stands with Tito Melema as they exchange confident, knowing words. The encounter ties Tito to the Compagnacci and shows how his casual alliances draw him deeper into open opposition to Savonarola.
“He wore a richly-embroidered tunic, with a great show of linen, after the newest French mode, and at his belt there hung a sword and poniard of fine workmanship. His hat, with a red plume in it, seemed a scornful protest against the gravity of Florentine costume, which had been ex-aggerated to the utmost under the influence of the Piagnoni.." ("The Visible Madonna", Chapter 44).
“He wore a richly-embroidered tunic, with a great show of linen, after the newest French mode, and at his belt there hung a sword and poniard of fine workmanship. His hat, with a red plume in it, seemed a scornful protest against the gravity of Florentine costume, which had been ex-aggerated to the utmost under the influence of the Piagnoni.." ("The Visible Madonna", Chapter 44).
Illustrator
Leighton, Frederic (1830-1896)
Contributor
Swain, Joseph (1820-1909), engraver
Publisher
George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org
Date
1863, 1880
Rights
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Work Illustrated
Romola
Citation
Leighton, Frederic (1830-1896), A Dangerous Colleague, George Eliot Illustrations Gallery, George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett, https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://www.georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/83583
Illustration
