The Written and the Visual

The author investigates the points of contact between literature, visual arts and feminist criticism by offering fresh readings of selected Romantic and Victorian poems about women and a discussion of their wide-ranging visual history - a subject which has not yet been undertaken in a book-length study. The innovative feature of the project lies in its scope and merit: extensive readings of 19th century poetry, informed by carefully chosen critical approaches, are followed by a rich overview and analysis of visual renderings of the poems in question. Together the chapters bring to light much previously unknown or undiscussed works and reappraise many well-known paintings and illustrations.