"THAT ROMANTIC FORTRESS": BRITISH DEPICTIONS OF THE ALHAMBRA, 1815-1837 by

140 Pages·2009·3.33 MB·English

"THATROMANTIC FORTRESS": BRITISH DEPICTIONS
OF THE ALHAMBRA, 1815-1837
by
JENNA ROSE ROELLE
A THESIS
Presented to the DepartmentofArt History
and the Graduate School ofthe University ofOregon
in partial fulfillment ofthe requirements
for the degree of
MasterofArts
September2009
11
'''That Romantic Fortress': BritishDepictions ofthe Alhambra, 1815-1837," athesis
prepared by Jenna Rose Roelle in partial fulfillment ofthe requirements for the Master of
Arts degree inthe Department ofArtHistory. This thesis has been approved and accepted
by:
I
Date
Committee in Charge: Dr. Andrew Schulz, Chair
Dr. Kate Mondloch
Dr. ElizabethBohls
Accepted by:
Dean ofthe Graduate School
111
© 2009 lennaRose Roelle
IV
An Abstract ofthe Thesis of
Jenna Rose Roelle for the degree of Master ofArts
inthe Department ofArt History to be taken September 2009
Title: "THAT ROMANTIC FORTRESS": BRITISHDEPICTIONS OF THE
ALHAMBRA, 1815-1837
_' _
Approved:
Dr. Andrew Schulz
Beginning in the early decades ofthe nineteenth century, British artists became
increasingly fascinated by the Alhambrapalace complex in Granada, Spain. This thesis
examines the prints ofthree such artists who traveled to Granada, James Cavanah
Murphy (1760-1814), John FrederickLewis (1805-1876) and David Roberts (1796-
1864), inorderto shed light ontheir shifting attitudes and approaches to the Alhambra. A
comparison ofMurphy's publication of1815 and the works ofLewis and Roberts,
published in the 1830s, will reveal a shiftfrom an attempt to accurately and methodically
record Granada's palace complex, to an increasingly subjective and emotionally-based
approach. The social and cultural contextofBritain and Spain inthe early nineteenth
century, and the role played by the accompanying text in these publications will also be
considered.
v
CURRICULUMVITAE
NAME OF AUTHOR: Jenna Rose Roelle
PLACE OF BIRTH: Fort Collins, Colorado
GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOLS ATTENDED:
University ofOregon, Eugene, Oregon
Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
DEGREES AWARDED:
Master ofArts, Art History, 2009, University ofOregon
Bachelor ofArts, English, 2000, Colorado State University
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Graduate Teaching Fellow, DepartmentofArt History, University ofOregon,
2007-2009
Collections Intern, Jordan SchnitzerMuseum ofArt, University ofOregon,
2008-2009
Visual Resources Assistant, Visual Resources Collection, University ofOregon
Libraries, 2006-2008
GRANTS, AWARDS AND HONORS:
Marian Donnelly Graduate StudentResearchTravel Grant, DepartmentofArt
History, University ofOregon, 2008
Marian Donnelly Graduate Award inArt History, Department ofArtHistory,
University ofOregon, 2008
Graduate Teaching Fellowship, Department ofArt History, University of
Oregon, 2007-2009
Vi
Cum Laude, Colorado State University, 2000
Colorado Opportunity Scholarship, Colorado State University, 1996-1997
PUBLICATIONS:
Giuseppe Vasi's Rome: LastingImpressionsfrom the Golden Age ofthe Grand
Tour. Contributing author. Forthcoming, 2010.
"Images ofWomen in Seventeenth-Century DutchArt and Literature." Featured
student research in Mike Palmquist, The BedfordResearcher. Boston: Bedford/St.
Martin's Press, 2003. (Credited as lennaAlberter.)
VB
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wishto express my deepestappreciation for all those who made this thesis
possible. I would liketo thankthe members ofmy committee, Kate Mondloch, Elizabeth
Bohls, and especially my advisor, Andrew Schulz, for their enthusiasm, guidance and
suggestions. Thank you to my friends and colleagues in the Art History department,
especially Kimberly Hong, OliviaMiller and HelenaDean, who generously read and
commented on drafts ofthis thesis. Research for this thesis atthe Alhambraand othersites
in Spainwas generously supported bythe Art History Departmentthrough the Marion
Donnelly Graduate StudentTravel Grant, anexperience for whichI am incredibly grateful
and which greatly enriched this project. My deepestthanks to Rocky Krosschell forhis
unfailing encouragement and supportduring the writing and revising ofthis thesis. Finally,
I would like to thank my friends and family fortheirunending encouragementand belief.
Vlll
This thesis is dedicatedto my parents, who gave me a love ofleaming andtaught
me, throughtheir own example, to pursue my dreams.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
1. THE IMAGE OF SPAIN IN 18TH AND 19TH CENTURY BRITAIN..................... 1
II. BIOGRAPHY AND PUBLICATIONS: THE SHAPING OF ARTISTS 29
III. FROM ENLIGHTENMENT TO ROMANTICISM: JAMES CAVANAH
MURPHY'S ARABIANANTIQUITIESOFSPAIN............................................... 44
IV. THE "ROMANTIC FORTRESS" IN THE IMAGES OF DAVID
ROBERTS AND JOHN FREDERICK LEWIS 70
APPENDIX: FIGlTRES 89
BIBLIOGRAPHy 122
x
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1. Henry Swinburne, View ofthe Alhambra 89
2. Richard Twiss, View ofthe Alhambra 89
3. Henry Swinburne, Court ofthe Lions.. 90
4. Sir David Wilkie, Sancho Panza in the Days ofHis Youth 90
5. James Cavanah Murphy, Section ofthe Church ofBatalha ..................................91
6. James Cavanah Murphy, Frontispiece to Plans...ofthe Church ofBatalha.......... 92
7. James Cavanah Murphy, Frontispiece to The ArabianAntiquities ofSpain 92
8. James Cavanah Murphy, Side Elevation ofLion's CourtandFountain 93
9. Patio ofthe Lions, fromAntiguedadesarabes de Espana..................................... 93
10. James Cavanah Murphy, Elevation ofthe Fountain ofLions 94
11. James CavanahMurphy, Plan ofBason oftheFountain ofLions......................... 94
12. Plan ofFountain ofLions, from Antigiledadesarabes de Espana 95
13. Plan ofthe Alhambra, fromAntiguedades arabes de Espana 96
14. View ofthe Alhambra, fromAntiguedades arabes de Espana 96
15. James Cavanah Murphy, Royal Palace andFortress ofthe Alhambra................. 97
16. James Cavanah Murphy, Plan ofthe Fortress ofthe Alhambra............................ 97
17. James Cavanah Murphy, GroundPlan ofthe Alhambra....................................... 98
18. Plan ofthe Palaces ofthe Alhambra, from Antiguedades arabes de Espana 98