Italy and the English Romantics
The Italianate Fashion in Early Nineteenth-Century England

In this 1957 book, Dr Brand traces the growth and decline of the social fashion which made Italy the goal of so many cultured Englishmen.

C. P. Brand (Author)

9780521247290, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 9 June 2011

312 pages
21.6 x 14 x 1.8 cm, 0.4 kg

A fashionable and well-informed interest in Italy was a feature of English intellectual life in the first half of the 19th century. Most cultured people could read Italian and knew something of Italian literature. Young ladies learned to sing in Italian, whilst young gentlemen completed their education with a tour in Italy. Painters went there to make copies from Raphael; architects to sketch the Graeco-Roman ruins. Men of letters in particular found themselves drawn to Italy and much Romantic literature reflects this interest; many works owe their origin to Italian literature. In this book, which was originally published in 1957, Dr Brand traces the growth and decline of the social fashion which made Italy the goal of so many cultured Englishmen. He examines in particular the extent and significance of Italy's fascination for the English romantic writers, and traces the effects of the fashion in music, painting, architecture and political affairs.

List of illustrations
Preface
Introduction
Part I. Travel and Language: 1. The English travellers in Italy
2. The Italian exiles in England
3. Study of the Italian language
Part II. Literature: The Interest in Italian Literature and its Influence in England: 4. Dante
5. Italian romantic narrative poetry
6. Italian lyric poetry
7. The Italian novelle
8. Italian drama and other works
Part III. The Arts and Landscape: 9. English interest in Italian painting, sculpture and architecture
10. The classical antiquities
11. The appeal of the Italian scene
12. Italian opera in England
Part IV. History, Politics and Religion: 13. The romance of Italian history
14. English reaction to political events in Italy
15. The Catholic question
Conclusion
Appendices
Bibliography
Notes
Index.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: general [DSB]