NOTE—Many well-known pictures of the Pilgrims have grossly misinterpreted their true spirit. A “Signing of the Compact” or a “Departure from Delfthaven,” for example, that employs the sentimental piety, the eyes and arms raised to heaven, of Italian Baroque art, (that Jesuitical, most Catholic art), fails to reflect the real spirit of the Protestant Pilgrims. The use of the gracefully reclining and swooning figures of Italianate renaissance art is likewise inappropriate.
Reacting sharply from this, the illustrations in the book portray in the modern spirit both the activities of the Pilgrims and their settings with strict realism.
Unsparing effort in consulting authorities, old documents, prints, and actual scenes was expended to secure convincing authenticity.
