This illustration was published in 1868 as part of the book Geographical Fun: Being Humourous Outlines of Various Countries. The introduction to the book was signed with the pseudonym Aleph, which corresponded to William Harvey, although the drawings were by Lilian Lancaster.

The book emphasised the importance of geographical illustrations as an educational tool, as it helped pupils to show greater interest in the study of the main countries of Europe.

In this plate, the Iberian Peninsula is represented by two figures. Portugal, in the western part, takes the form of a bear dressed in clothes to match the country's flag. Spain occupies the rest of the territory as a woman with black hair adorned with flowers, wearing a black and yellow checkered dress, and holding a bunch of grapes in her left hand. In the southern part, Gibraltar is marked by the Union Jack, The British possession of the Straits of Gibraltar is a reference to the British possession of the Straits of Gibraltar.

You can read more about this illustration and the rest of Lilian Lancaster's work. in this article.

Sources

• 6. Spain & Portugal