Picturing Divinity in John Donne's Writings

John Donne's interest in painting is evident in his portraits and artworks, and his writings include references to pictures and engravings. This book offers a new approach to Donne's presentation of the visual arts, arguing that his allusions to pictures are less concrete than they may appear. He drew inspiration from theology, including works by Nicholas of Cusa and Martin Luther, to reveal the limits of representation and point beyond the material realm towards the divine.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 192 pages
Publication date: 05 March 2024
Publisher: Boydell & Brewer Ltd

John Donne's interest in the visual arts is evident in his five known portraits and the numerous artworks he bequeathed in his will. His writings, including poems and sermons, contain numerous references to pictures and engravings, painters, and sculptors. However, Donne never used his familiarity with painterly techniques to produce a simple ekphrasis or description in his writings. This book offers a fresh perspective on Donne's intricate and multifaceted portrayal of the visual arts in his writing. It argues that even his explicit allusions to pictures are less concrete than they may initially appear.

While Donne was familiar with contemporary treatises on art, many of his most compelling references to paintings and painterly techniques originate from his reading of theology, particularly works by Nicholas of Cusa and Martin Luther. These previously unidentified sources for Donne's painterly imagery provide valuable insights into how the plastic arts became his tool to reveal the limitations of representation and thus point beyond the material realm towards the unrepresentable and unknowable divine.

This study offers new insights into some of Donne's best-known poems, both secular and religious, and enhances our appreciation of Donne as an artist who continually explored the boundaries of his own practice as a poet and preacher. Upon publication, this book will be available as an Open Access eBook under the Creative Commons license: CC BY-NC.

Weight: 344g
Dimension: 234 x 156 x 13 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781843847076