• Colour drawing of a staged theatrical scene framed by two symmetrical classical structures with niches containing gilded statues, flanked by trees. At the centre, a painted backdrop shows an island within an archipelago, with a visible settlement; in the foreground, a vessel approaches the shore. Four figures stand before the backdrop holding branches and other objects. The composition is enclosed within a thin rectangular gold border.

From the archives – What is comparative literature?

Certain works of literature call especially clearly for a comparative approach, through reference to other works or through establishing comparative structures such as parallel plots. Collectively, these works can be denoted by the noun phrase “comparative literature”. In our featured…