Pre-Raphaelites and Orientalism: Language and Cognition in Remediations of the East

The Pre-Raphaelites and Orientalism: Language and Cognition in Remediations of the East redefines the task of interpreting the East in the late nineteenth century by weaving together literary, linguistic, and cognitive analyses of Pre-Raphaelite paintings, illustrations, and writings, socio-cultural investigations of the Orient, and rhetorical considerations about Arabian forms of writing. It takes as a starting point Edward Saids Orientalism (1978) to investigate the latent and manifest traces of the East in Pre-Raphaelite literature and culture.

Format: Hardback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 30 June 2018
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press

The Pre-Raphaelites and Orientalism: Language and Cognition in Remediations of the East offers a fresh perspective on the interpretation of the East in the late nineteenth century. By combining literary, linguistic, and cognitive analyses of Pre-Raphaelite paintings, illustrations, and writings, as well as socio-cultural investigations of the Orient, and rhetorical considerations about Arabian forms of writing, the book redefines the critical debate surrounding the East. Drawing inspiration from Edward Said's Orientalism (1978), the study explores the latent and manifest traces of the East in Pre-Raphaelite literature and culture. The Pre-Raphaelites and their associates are portrayed as the most eligible representatives of a deeply conservative manifestation of the Orient, encompassing its mystic aura, criminal underworld, and feminine sensuality. The book highlights the role of selected Pre-Raphaelite writings in raising awareness of cultural diversity and redefines the task of interpreting the East in the late nineteenth century. It also examines the pervasive influence of The Arabian Nights on Pre-Raphaelite texts and aims to bring together Western and Eastern forms of writing. The study outlines the reasons why the writings by John Ruskin, D.G. Rossetti, Christina Rossetti, William Morris, Algernon Swinburne, Aubrey Beardsley, and Ford Madox Ford play such a prominent role in the Oriental debate.

Weight: 486g
Dimension: 163 x 241 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781474407168