‘Diaphaneitè’ and Dante: a New Perspective on Pater’s Early Essay

Despite acute awareness of Walter Pater’s interest in and use of literary, mythological, philosophical and artistic sources in his own writings, his reception of Dante Alighieri has not been investigated sufficiently yet. This article gives an overview of Pater’s general interest in Dante, seen with...

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Main Author: Julia Straub
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Presses Universitaires de la Méditerranée 2008-12-01
Series:Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/cve/7802
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author Julia Straub
author_facet Julia Straub
author_sort Julia Straub
collection DOAJ
description Despite acute awareness of Walter Pater’s interest in and use of literary, mythological, philosophical and artistic sources in his own writings, his reception of Dante Alighieri has not been investigated sufficiently yet. This article gives an overview of Pater’s general interest in Dante, seen within the context of the reception of Dante’s works in the Victorian period, but then focuses on Pater’s early essay ‘Diaphaneitè’. Dante, it is argued, attracted Pater’s attention for moral and aesthetic reasons. It is by examining Dante’s presence in Pater’s texts, and particularly in ‘Diaphaneitè’, that we can find central clues to an understanding of Pater’s concepts of beauty and culture. The figure of Beatrice is the embodiment of what Pater admired in Dante. Her figure reflects in interesting ways upon his style, his concept of the ideal diaphanous character, and gender questions.
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spelling doaj-art-d0a8c3350a1549bd9f20f6672485075a2025-01-30T10:22:30ZengPresses Universitaires de la MéditerranéeCahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens0220-56102271-61492008-12-016810.4000/cve.7802‘Diaphaneitè’ and Dante: a New Perspective on Pater’s Early EssayJulia StraubDespite acute awareness of Walter Pater’s interest in and use of literary, mythological, philosophical and artistic sources in his own writings, his reception of Dante Alighieri has not been investigated sufficiently yet. This article gives an overview of Pater’s general interest in Dante, seen within the context of the reception of Dante’s works in the Victorian period, but then focuses on Pater’s early essay ‘Diaphaneitè’. Dante, it is argued, attracted Pater’s attention for moral and aesthetic reasons. It is by examining Dante’s presence in Pater’s texts, and particularly in ‘Diaphaneitè’, that we can find central clues to an understanding of Pater’s concepts of beauty and culture. The figure of Beatrice is the embodiment of what Pater admired in Dante. Her figure reflects in interesting ways upon his style, his concept of the ideal diaphanous character, and gender questions.https://journals.openedition.org/cve/7802
spellingShingle Julia Straub
‘Diaphaneitè’ and Dante: a New Perspective on Pater’s Early Essay
Cahiers Victoriens et Edouardiens
title ‘Diaphaneitè’ and Dante: a New Perspective on Pater’s Early Essay
title_full ‘Diaphaneitè’ and Dante: a New Perspective on Pater’s Early Essay
title_fullStr ‘Diaphaneitè’ and Dante: a New Perspective on Pater’s Early Essay
title_full_unstemmed ‘Diaphaneitè’ and Dante: a New Perspective on Pater’s Early Essay
title_short ‘Diaphaneitè’ and Dante: a New Perspective on Pater’s Early Essay
title_sort diaphaneite and dante a new perspective on pater s early essay
url https://journals.openedition.org/cve/7802
work_keys_str_mv AT juliastraub diaphaneiteanddanteanewperspectiveonpatersearlyessay