David Cecil Libri

Drawing on Jane Austen's letters, novels and other people's memories of her, Lord David Cecil sets out 'to reconstruct and depict her living personality and to explore its relation to her art'. The portrait that emerges is of a clear-sighted, observant, strong-minded woman whose witty and ironic representation of her own society has delighted readers for centuries.

Focusing on the interplay between poetry and visual art, this work highlights the influence of imaginative literature on two pivotal English Romantic painters. Samuel Palmer, known for his visionary style, and Edward Burne-Jones, celebrated for his Pre-Raphaelite aesthetics, both drew inspiration from literary giants like Shakespeare, Milton, and Keats. The narrative explores how their inner lives and poetic inspirations shaped their artistic expressions, revealing the profound connection between poetry and painting during their era.