Tennyson Transformed explores how the life and work of the great Victorian Poet Laureate was interpreted by artists, illustrators, photographers and other creative practitioners. This book evaluates several strands of Tennyson's influence on Victorian visual culture, and sheds new light on this crucial aspect of his influence.
Including discussion of well-known paintings such as J.W. Waterhouse's Lady of Shalott and other Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces, the book looks beyond the obvious to uncover the breadth of media used to express Tennysonian themes. Book illustration, photography, engraving and sculpture are examined alongside previously unpublished archival material, such as the proof woodcuts for the famous 'Moxon Tennyson' of 1857. Including essays by leading specialists in the field and followed by a catalogue of seminal objects and images, Tennyson Transformed is essential reading for both the specialist and the enthusiast. Literary scholars and art historians will find fascinating new connections between the art and literature of the nineteenth century.
Contents: Acknowledgements; Preface, Christopher Ricks; Introduction: Tennyson and Victorian culture, Jim Cheshire; 'Always another poem': Victorian illustrations of Tennyson, Julia Thomas; 'More fair than words can say': Tennyson and Julia Margaret Cameron, Colin Ford; Tennyson and the artists, Leonee Ormond; Alfred: Informal portraits of a poet, Ben Stoker; Greatness confirmed: The sculpted portraits of Tennyson, John Lord; Catalogue, Grace Timmins, Ben Stoker, Andrea Martin, Jim Cheshire; Bibliography; Photographic credits; Index.
About the Author: Dr Jim Cheshire is Senior Lecturer in the History of Art and Design at the University of Lincoln. He specialises in Victorian visual and material culture. He is the author of Stained Glass and the Victorian Gothic Revival, 2004.
Dr Julia Thomas is Senior Lecturer in English Literature at Cardiff University and specialises in Victorian visual culture and illustration studies. She is the author of Pictorial Victorians: The Inscription of Values in Word and Image, 2004.
Colin Ford CBE, now a freelance writer, curator and lecturer was founding Director of the National Media Museum and Director of the National Museums and Galleries of Wales. Among his numerous books and catalogues on photographic history is Julia Margaret Cameron: Nineteenth Century Photographer of Genius, 2003. He is co-author of Julia Margaret Cameron: The Complete Photographs.
Professor Leonee Ormond is Professor Emerita of Kings College London and specialises in nineteenth-century literature and the fine arts. She was one of the four organisers of the Lord Leighton Centenary Exhibition (Royal Academy, 1996) is author of Alfred Tennyson: A Literary Life.
Ben Stoker is a research assistant at the Tennyson Research Centre. He is part of the curatorial team working on Tennyson Transformed (The Collection, Lincoln).
Dr John Lord is a freelance writer, lecturer and sculptor. His research has focused on this area, complimenting his role as former editor of the Journal of the Church Monuments Society.
Reviews: 'This book will be of interest and use to literary scholars and art historians, and may serve others, as it did me, as a spur to read some Tennyson again - an act that he surely would have given his unconditional approval' Donald Lee, Art Newspaper October 2009
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