To Bind in Admiration All Who Gaze: Lydia Sigourney's Sentimental Ekphrasis

TY - JOUR

T1 - To Bind in Admiration All Who Gaze

T2 - Lydia Sigourney's Sentimental Ekphrasis

AU - Vogelius, Christa Holm

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - This paper examines some of Lydia Sigourney's poetic descriptions of artworks to argue that her work is concerned with the changing place of the visual arts in Americans' lives in the middle of the nineteenth century. Sigourney's ekphrastic poems guide the reader through a process of emulating the visual forms that they describe, encouraging readers to embody the emotional experience of the works. Such experience trained Americans to approach the increasing number of reprinted art images in books and periodicals, as well as preparing the ground a growing gallery culture later in the century. Drawing, the simplest of languages, is understood by all. Rembrandt Peale, Graphics; a manual of drawing and writing, for the use of schools and families (1835).

AB - This paper examines some of Lydia Sigourney's poetic descriptions of artworks to argue that her work is concerned with the changing place of the visual arts in Americans' lives in the middle of the nineteenth century. Sigourney's ekphrastic poems guide the reader through a process of emulating the visual forms that they describe, encouraging readers to embody the emotional experience of the works. Such experience trained Americans to approach the increasing number of reprinted art images in books and periodicals, as well as preparing the ground a growing gallery culture later in the century. Drawing, the simplest of languages, is understood by all. Rembrandt Peale, Graphics; a manual of drawing and writing, for the use of schools and families (1835).

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0340-2827

VL - 59

SP - 321

EP - 333

JO - Amerikastudien

JF - Amerikastudien

IS - 3

ER -