Entranced by romantic tales of heroism and chivalry, Don Quixote goes on a delusional quest for fame and adventure as a self-proclaimed knight errant. Riding his nag of a horse and wearing a rusty old suit of armor, he roams the countryside with his loyal squire Sancho Panza. Together they encounter an array of unforgettable characters and undertake some of the most famously foolhardy exploits in literature. Widely considered one of the greatest works of fiction ever written, Don Quixote is also recognized as the first modern European novel and a classic example of the picaresque novel. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its iconic characters and timeless themes have inspired works of homage from generations of artists, including Pablo Picasso, Richard Strauss, and Orson Welles.