The Continuum of Consciousness: Aesthetic Experience and Visual Art in Henry James's Novels

130 Pages·2013·10.69 MB·English

by  James

Eimers_CPI_Hardcover:AUS dd.qxd 7/16/2013 2:30 PM Page 1
The Continuum of Consciousness: Aesthetic Experience and Visual Art in E A M E R I C A N U N I V E R S I T Y S T U D I E S
i
m
Henry James’s Novelsexamines the transformative experience of art in
e
James’s fiction. In a 1915 letter to H.G. Wells, James declares, “It is art that r
s
makes life.”This book traces the rich implications of this claim. For James,
viewing art transformed the self. Many of his contemporaries, including his
famous older brother, William, were deeply interested in the study of per-
ception and individual consciousness. James’s fictional use of art reflects T
h
these philosophical discussions. Although much valuable scholarship has
e
been devoted to visual art in James’s fiction, the guiding role it often plays
C
in his characters’experiences receives fuller exploration in this book. A pro- o
n
longed look at visual art and consciousness through the lens of nineteenth-
t
century British aestheticism reveals intriguing connections and character i
n
responses. By highlighting and analyzing his representations of aesthetic con- u
u
sciousness in four novels at specific moments (such as Basil Ransom’s and
m
Verena Tarrant’s contrasting responses to Harvard’s Memorial Hall in The

Bostoniansand Milly Theale’s identification with a Bronzino painting in o
f
The Wings of the Dove), this book ultimately explores the idea that for James
C
art represents “every conscious human activity,”as Wells replied to James. o
n
s
c
i
JENNIFER EIMERS earned her Ph.D. in English from the University of o
u
Georgia, where she specialized in nineteenth-century American literature.
s
n
She received her M.A. in English from Creighton University and her B.A.
e
in English from Grand View University. She is Assistant Professor of Eng- s
s
lish at Missouri Valley College. Her scholarship has been published in The
Henry James Review, Searching for America: Essays on American Art and The Continuum
Architecture(2007), and A Companion to Henry James(2008).
i
v
of Consciousness
(cid:129)

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Aesthetic Experience and Visual Art
in Henry James’s Novels
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A M E R I C A N N
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U N I V E R S I T Y
JENNIFER EIMERS
S T U D I E S
www.peterlang.com
Eimers_CPI_Hardcover:AUS dd.qxd 7/16/2013 2:30 PM Page 1
The Continuum of Consciousness: Aesthetic Experience and Visual Art in E A M E R I C A N U N I V E R S I T Y S T U D I E S
i
m
Henry James’s Novelsexamines the transformative experience of art in
e
James’s fiction. In a 1915 letter to H.G. Wells, James declares, “It is art that r
s
makes life.”This book traces the rich implications of this claim. For James,
viewing art transformed the self. Many of his contemporaries, including his
famous older brother, William, were deeply interested in the study of per-
ception and individual consciousness. James’s fictional use of art reflects T
h
these philosophical discussions. Although much valuable scholarship has
e
been devoted to visual art in James’s fiction, the guiding role it often plays
C
in his characters’experiences receives fuller exploration in this book. A pro- o
n
longed look at visual art and consciousness through the lens of nineteenth-
t
century British aestheticism reveals intriguing connections and character i
n
responses. By highlighting and analyzing his representations of aesthetic con- u
u
sciousness in four novels at specific moments (such as Basil Ransom’s and
m
Verena Tarrant’s contrasting responses to Harvard’s Memorial Hall in The

Bostoniansand Milly Theale’s identification with a Bronzino painting in o
f
The Wings of the Dove), this book ultimately explores the idea that for James
C
art represents “every conscious human activity,”as Wells replied to James. o
n
s
c
i
JENNIFER EIMERS earned her Ph.D. in English from the University of o
u
Georgia, where she specialized in nineteenth-century American literature.
s
n
She received her M.A. in English from Creighton University and her B.A.
e
in English from Grand View University. She is Assistant Professor of Eng- s
s
lish at Missouri Valley College. Her scholarship has been published in The
Henry James Review, Searching for America: Essays on American Art and The Continuum
Architecture(2007), and A Companion to Henry James(2008).
i
v
of Consciousness
(cid:129)

1
9
8
Aesthetic Experience and Visual Art
in Henry James’s Novels
P
E
T
E
R
L
A
A M E R I C A N N
G
U N I V E R S I T Y
JENNIFER EIMERS
S T U D I E S
www.peterlang.com
The Continuum
of Consciousness
SERIES IV
ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

VOL. 198

PETER LANG
New York  Washington, D.C./Baltimore  Bern
Frankfurt  Berlin  Brussels  Vienna  Oxford
JENNIFER EIMERS
The Continuum
of Consciousness

Aesthetic Experience and
Visual Art in Henry James’s Novels

PETER LANG
New York  Washington, D.C./Baltimore  Bern
Frankfurt  Berlin  Brussels  Vienna  Oxford
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Eimers, Jennifer.
The continuum of consciousness: aesthetic experience
and visual art in Henry James’s novels / Jennifer Eimers.
pages cm. — (American University studies IV: English language and literature; vol. 198)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. James, Henry, 1843–1916—Knowledge—Art. 2. James, Henry, 1843–1916. Portrait of a lady.
3. James, Henry, 1843–1916. Bostonians. 4. James, Henry, 1843–1916. Tragic muse.
5. James, Henry, 1843–1916. Wings of the dove. 6. Visual perception in literature.
7. Art in literature. 8. Art and literature—United States—History—19th century.
I. Title. II. Title: Aesthetic experience and visual art in Henry James’s novels.
PS2127.A75E46 813’.4—dc23 2013011868
ISBN 978-1-4331-2289-7 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4539-1132-7 (e-book)
ISSN 0741-0700

Bibliographic information published by Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Die Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the “Deutsche
Nationalbibliografie”; detailed bibliographic data is available
on the Internet at http://dnb.d-nb.de/.

The cover photograph of Memorial Transept, Memorial Hall, Harvard University,
Cambridge, Massachusetts, is published with the permission of QT Luong/terragalleria.com.

The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability
of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book Longevity
of the Council of Library Resources.

© 2013 Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., New York
29 Broadway, 18th floor, New York, NY 10006
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All rights reserved.
Reprint or reproduction, even partially, in all forms such as microfilm,
xerography, microfiche, microcard, and offset strictly prohibited.

Printed in Germany
For Ellie, Audrey, and Lillian

Contents
Acknowledgments ix

INTRODUCTION
The Art in James’s Experience 1
James’s Introduction to Visual Art 5
John Ruskin and Walter Pater 9
The Art in James’s Fiction 13

CHAPTER ONE
Aesthetic Experience in The Portrait of a Lady 17
Italian Initiations 22
St. Peter’s Basilica 25
Antique Marbles 29
Tableau Vivant 32
Return to Gardencourt 34

CHAPTER TWO
The Influence of Architecture in The Bostonians 41
Memorial Hall 45
Central Park 53
Boston Music Hall 57

CHAPTER THREE
(Re)presenting Miriam Rooth in The Tragic Muse 63
Nick, Nash, and Notre Dame 65
Miriam as the Tragic Muse 68
La Tragédie 73
Miriam as the Comic Muse 79
Miriam on Stage 81
viii The Continuum of Consciousness

CHAPTER FOUR
Pater and Ruskin in The Wings of the Dove 85
The Bronzino Portrait 90
The Image of the Dove 94
The National Gallery 95
Death in Venice 97
The Venetian Canvas 99

CONCLUSION
Art, Consciousness, Life 105

Bibliography 109

Index 113