Witemeyer, Hugh (Eliot, George)

George Eliot and the Visual Arts

ISBN: 0300022816
New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1979. First Edition. Hardcover. Inscribed & signed by Hugh Witemeyer to George Bornstein. Inscribed & signed by Hugh Witemeyer to George Bornstein. "Drawing upon the evidence of George Eliot's letters, journals, essays, and fiction, Hugh Witemeyer reconstructs both her acquaintance with the world of art and her tastes in painting and sculpture. He explores the application to her work of the theory of ut pictura poesis, which led her to describe many characters and scenes in her fiction as if they were visual compositions...Her pictorial techniques anticipate in their complexity the art of Henry James. Witemeyer provides a useful context for his study by frequent reference to Eliot's contemporaries who shared her interest in the visual arts- above all, (John) Ruskin. The book includes reproductions of thirty-six of the works of art discussed in the text." (from front flap) A biographical-critical study of George Eliot (b. Mary Ann Evans, 1819-1880), the canonical British Victorian-era writer, with an insightful & scholarly emphasis on the influence of visual artworks, & the application of their techniques, onto her literary creations. Author Hugh Witemeyer (1939-2022) was an acclaimed author & academician who spent most of his career at the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque. Hardcover in unclipped dust jacket, first edition, first printing (though neither explicated as such at copyright page per custom of this academic publisher). With a section of captioned black-&-white photographs depicting the artworks of interest to Eliot. On the otherwise blank front white endpaper, Witemeyer has hand-written & signed in cursive blue ink: "for George,/ with thanks for his interest,/ friendship, and Roman foot work./ (signed) Hugh." "George" is George Bornstein (1941-2021), scholar, author & academician here at the University of Michigan (where Witemeyer attended & graduated)- a real Giant of Letters who was a dearly missed friend & mentor to this writer. The affectionate nature of Witemeyer's inscription indicates that he & Bornstein were close friends & colleagues, & that Bornstein likely had a hand in researching this volume. An important & rewarding Eliot-related Witemeyer collectible in its rarest original form, with rich association & provenance. Book in fine-verging-on-very-fine condition with very slight, sparse rubbing at tiny areas of brown-cloth front, back covers & spine; a touch of wear at edges & corners of same; slight bending of spine toward front; slight rubbing to edges of text block esp. lower edge. Interior fine- very fine with only one small, light spot-stain each at upper right blank front paste-down & upper left front endpaper (not effecting inscription/signature); light browning, occasional tiny spotting at same & rear paste-down, endpaper; otherwise all page leaves appear substantially mint. Dust jacket relatively quite good-to-near-fine with mild rubbing, browning, faint scratching & creasing to front, back covers, spine & flaps; mild wear & some tiny bumps, creases at edges & corners of same; small, mostly closed tears & creases esp. at upper spine edges, corners with minimal loss of paper. Fine- Very Fine / Good- Near Fine. [Item #5861]

Price: $60.00