Enchanted islands : picturing the allure of conquest in eighteenth-century France / Mary D. Sheriff.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sheriff, Mary D., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Islands in literature.

Islands in art.

French literature--18th century--History and criticism.

French literature.

Art, French--18th century.

Art, French.

Genre:

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

xiii, 279 pages, 12 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Chicago, IL : The University of Chicago Press, 2018.

Summary:

In Enchanted Islands, art historian Mary D. Sheriff explores the legendary, fictional, and real islands that filled the French imagination during the ancien regime as they appeared in royal ballets and festivals, epic literature, paintings, engravings, book illustrations, and other objects. Some of the islands were mythical and found in the most popular literary texts of the day. Islands featured prominently, for instance, in Ariosto's Orlando furioso,Tasso's Gerusalemme liberata, and Fénelon's Telemachus. Other islands--real ones, such as Tahiti and St. Domingue--the French learned about from the writings of travelers and colonists. All of them were imagined to be the home of enchantresses who used magic to conquer heroes by promising sensual and sexual pleasure.

In 'Enchanted Islands', art historian Mary D. Sheriff explores the legendary, fictional, and real islands that filled the French imagination during the ancien regime as they appeared in royal ballets and festivals, epic literature, paintings, engravings, book illustrations, and other objects. Some of the islands were mythical and found in the most popular literary texts of the dayislands featured prominently, for instance, in Ariostos Orlando furioso,Tassos Gerusalemme liberata, and F�enelons, Telemachus. Other islandsreal ones, such as Tahiti and St. Dominguethe French learned about from the writings of travelers and colonists. All of them were imagined to be the home of enchantresses who used magic to conquer heroes by promising sensual and sexual pleasure.

Contents:

Introduction : called to islands

Thinking with islands

Domains of enchantment

Royal power, national sentiment, and the sorceress undone

Calypso in the regency

The transformations of Armida

On the persistence and limits of the enchanted island.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 223-268) and index.

ISBN:

9780226483108

022648310X

OCLC:

1002418363