Art and Morality: The “Picturesque” Aesthetic in The Portrait of a Lady

Abstract

Abstract: The relation between art and morality has always been one of the key issues in the studies of Henry James, American writer. Often, such studies tend to regard aestheticism as the essential cultural backdrop and reference of James’ works. However, in The Portrait of a Lady, a representative novel early in his career, James shows his great interest in the “picturesque” aesthetic that was sweeping through both England and America at that time. The heroine Isabel’s preference for the “picturesque” aesthetic, especially her transformation in the story, reveals James’ thoughts on the relation between art and morality. As she goes through the process of her growth, Isabel’s “picturesque” aesthetic gradually discloses its inherent moral dimension and potential, and functions as a reciprocal catalyst between artistic taste and moral solicitude, thus enabling her to make sense of the history and hardship hidden behind the “picturesque” beauty. Her “picturesque” aesthectic, which undergoes a transformation from “the lower” to “the noble” , embodies the harmonious and cross-fertilizing relation between art and morality.

Key words: James, The Portrait of a Lady, art, morality, picturesque

Xiu Limei. Art and Morality: The “Picturesque” Aesthetic in The Portrait of a Lady[J]. Foreign Literature Studies, 2021, 43(2): 140-152.

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