Communicative and pragmatic potential of engravings and texts in the German prose novel of the 15 th - 16th centuries

The article determines the communicative and pragmatic function of the German prose novel of the 15th - 16th centuries which is implemented at the level of the paratext: illustrative material in the form of engravings. The research is based on the early editions of the novels Ein kurtzweilig Lesen von Dyl Ulenspiegel < . . . > (1515) and Melusine (1587). A brief description of the engravings on their artistic features is made. A common feature of the engravings is their concrete and realistic character. The proportion of the engravings and text units is determined: Melusine, unlike Ein kurtzweilig Lesen von Dyl Ulenspiegel < . . .>, has a much larger number of unillustrated text units. According to their plot and composition features, the engravings are subdivided into emblem engravings and event engravings. Each type has a specific position and performs specific functions, which is described in the article. The analysis of the content of the text fragments and engravings they include showed that they are always connected in a particular way: the engravings represent one of the central scenes of the story, a certain stage in the development of the action, or the general character of the story situation. In this regard, the article highlights several types of prints. Several conclusions are made. The engravings of the prose novels Ein kurtzweilig Lesen von Dyl Ulenspiegel < . . . > and Melusine were made by several independently working artists; therefore, they are not subject to a single artistic idea, they are not self-sufficient works of art, but, originally, illustrations depending on the text material. The larger number of illustrations in the novel Ein kurtzweilig Lesen von Dyl Ulenspiegel < . . .> and the degree of their connection with the text, significantly greater than in Melusine, indicate that the intended recipient of the novel is likely to be a representative of the culture of the "silent majority" (definition by A.Ya. Gurevich). In general, the communicative and pragmatic function of the engravings of the early German prose novel is to facilitate the perception of the text. The engraving is also used to entertain the reader: in most cases, it represents the most vivid scenes, the key events of the novel.

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