Victorian Visions of War and Peace - Aesthetics, Sovereignty, and Violence in the British Empire

Artists and photographers in the Victorian period helped shape imperial visions of war and peace by creating visual spectacles that showcased the British Empire as a peaceful and prosperous entity. However, this occurred against a backdrop of incessant colonial war, which was unprecedentedly visible in Victorian cultural forms. Visual media shaped the contours of imperial statecraft and established aesthetic and ethical frames for confronting colonial violence.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 05 November 2021
Publisher: Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

In the Victorian era, which witnessed the emergence of photography and the proliferation of illustrated publications, the British Empire underwent a significant transformation. Artists and photographers played a crucial role in shaping the British perception of war and peace during this period. This book delves into the examination of military and diplomatic crises, exploring how artists and photographers operating within the field contributed to defining British visions of war and peace. The Victorians embraced visual spectacle as a means to assert their imperial sovereignty, transforming the British Empire into a grand exhibition of peace. This phenomenon was evident in various forms, including world fairs and meticulously staged diplomatic rituals. However, it is important to note that this spectacle emerged amidst an ongoing backdrop of relentless colonial warfare. Campaigns, which were once obscured or ignored, became remarkably visible within the cultural expressions of Victorian society. Visual media, therefore, exerted a profound influence on the shape of imperial statecraft and established the frameworks within which colonial violence was confronted. This book, distributed by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, sheds light on the intricate interplay between visual representation, power, and the colonial experience during the Victorian era.

Weight: 1138g
Dimension: 201 x 265 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781913107246