Pictorial Shakespeare, 1880-1890 - eTheses Repository - University ...

iv. waiter ?at,er«n
Pater published three essays on ,3ha.kespearean sjiugect^, bringing
them together in 13C9* in the volant of Apjprccii..tio/iS. The first
to appear was "A Fragment on Keaaure. ..for . . ousure " in The Fortnightly
-ioview for November 1874. In 188|> "Love* a Labour's Lost"
( ;ic) vjc.a printed ir: the December issue of ^'.ccd 1 lan * 3 :'o.(.yizine ,
and in April 1839 "Shake spa;. re »u Knglish Kin^c" appeared in
jjoribnor * a Magazine* In all three Pater aoontec' the spelling of
the drcunc.tj.L.t'e licirne propo^eu by ulic i:ev; nhaic^-jpere Society. In
tlicessays ;vc-re flrteG I-07'l , ! ? "' and 1 C 39, but
the onioi of the two earlier ones was reversed, that on Love's
Labour's -lost preceding "A ^ra^ncnt on '^^i^.e_fj>r_ ]- ' eagure" .
In the pages which follow the essays are quoted in the text of
their first appearance,
The dominant theme in the first of the eswayu is that of
the creative artist's attitude and powers - the process of
composition is described in. terms sufc/^estinc painting and botany
(a science beloved of .Pre-^nh^.olite painters):
Ahetstone himself turned the thin«c iato a 'tale...
a genuine dece, v/ith touches of unclosi^iiod -ootry,
a ciii.iiri; x'ield-i'lower hore and there of diction or
sentiment, the whole strung up to ,- n effective
brevity, tuiu vvita the ir £.r.izice of t;i-^t admirable
>V,e o.':' lit",i-:?tur© about it.
( ' : ;ho Fortnihtly " i'icv. . XXII (I 1 14)
Hhc'-kpspearc then c^?~.rr ps s. combined .rrc-iioect cmd painter:
Hero thor. there n s so;aot'ain~ of th?,- o.oi;ln.-l Italian
colour; in tliis narrative 3hcJ;oco-rrc ;:ay ,;ill hr>ve
c.;i,i;i:>t the fir !: "M'-pce of o, con^^rition -vith nobler
"or'O""?ort.iorir:;J r.'n^ POTnc; -rvrtlo^s ."- 'JcG^ch fror lie ov^i iicncZ.
the "5lay £G v.'c cfw'.lly read it. Out of -''less inrii/;;-
nific^nt sources ;jlirL.;.e:.'pGre'.^ -)l^y :;rice; , full of
bocvat",'', t'jo .'ior; bO'\y of n ""A ;-j.c-r, 'l;ho.'j.L-;h c'orietinps
re::'iote anu difficult poetry, ecc,';:in- fror: fio i:i~porr^oi
ro.lic.-: of t-icj old rj'i/ ;r,/-, yot not v;hoily
tr.-i'icf jr.aed, ;f.nd -avon .--fa it , !;. _.'. .'3 t.ic oro->arition
3.1.1;,-", ".TO '.^ir^.u ^"'liLc, jj? ;.x :-jtili ".Dre i-ioosirj^
(p.533)
'..-here is c hj.nt of th2 :.ir.^Uo obout t;d3 J?MJ.:ebpeare, vvhoce play
"risetj" c-3 though nonjurocl u ^ rat^.^r them const rue tod, p.nri thic;