THE STUDY WITHOUT WHICH my research would hardly be possible. This is an incredibly detailed (at times suffocatingly so) account of the production and milieu of "literary" paintings in Britain during the period 1760–1900. Altick concentrates on issues of audience and reception (showing, for example, the extreme extent to which the art produced in this period was a response to contemporary popular tastes) as well the related issues of class and economics. He gives a useful account of some of the major projects in illustrating literature, such as Boydell's Shakespeare Gallery. Limitations: in constructing his sweeping history,     Altick has little time to spend in looking at specific works in detail. Also, Altick pays little attention to theoretical issues; he summarizes the ut pictura poesis and Lessing arguments, but doesn't devote any more time to theoretical issues. Lots of pictures, no color. (Rachel Mines.)

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Michael Hancher
Department of English, University of Minnesota
URL: <http://mh.cla.umn.edu/txtimrm1.html>
Comments to: mh@umn.edu
Created 25 November 1997
Revised 7 May 2000