Busiakiewicz, Adam (2021) The Countess’s palette : Anne Countess of Warwick (1829-1903). PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This thesis examines the life and artistic career of Anne Greville (1829-1903), nee Charteris, 4th Countess of Warwick. A thorough examination of the countess’s archival papers encourages us to broaden the profile of the female aesthete often presented by scholars. Anne’s involvement with many of the key elements of the Aesthetic Movement extends and complicates our understanding of the appeal of Aestheticism across the highest levels of society. Furthermore, her introduction of Aestheticism into Warwick Castle, her ancient home, suggests a rethinking of the geography of the movement and its place within the English Stately Home.

The research presented draws from the largely unexplored and under-appreciated Warwick Castle Archive held by the Warwickshire County Record Office. It demonstrates how the archive can be used to probe our assumptions of the type of women that were attracted to new developments in art and design during the second half of the nineteenth century. Such rare surviving documents also increases our understanding of how Aestheticism permeated into the highest levels of society and within significant ancient buildings.

By examining the distinctively artistic and aesthetic pursuits of the countess, this thesis will explore the role of female aristocratic aesthetes. The first chapter places Anne within the vast context of Warwick Castle, an important historic building and home to a considerable collection of art, in which women played a significant role throughout the centuries. The second chapter investigates Anne’s early experiments with interior design throughout the 1850s and 60s, and how she balanced questions of her own interests alongside taste and fashion. The third chapter probes the significance of Anne’s work after the 1871 fire at Warwick Castle, with particular attention to her involvement in redesigning the castle’s Great Hall and new Library. The fourth chapter explores Anne’s interest in the Aesthetic Movement in relation to interiors, focusing particularly on the roles played by printed materials, photography, family and likeminded aristocratic aesthetes. The fifth chapter examines the countess’s aesthetic philanthropy, showing that aristocratic women could act as provincial agents of Aestheticism within pre-existing aristocratic models and traditional institutions such as the charitable bazaar. The sixth chapter focuses on Anne’s abilities as a creator of art, highlighting the embeddedness of such women within the Victorian Art World alongside its leading artists and figures.

This thesis encourages a revaluation of the role aristocratic women played in the Victorian Art World, broadening and complicating our understanding of the appeal of the Aesthetic Movement in late nineteenth-century Britain.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DA Great Britain H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman H Social Sciences > HT Communities. Classes. Races N Fine Arts > N Visual arts (General) For photography, see TR N Fine Arts > NX Arts in general
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Greville, Anne, 1829-1903, Nobility -- England -- Warwickshire -- History -- 19th century, Warwick (England) -- History, Warwick Castle (Warwick, England) -- In art, Art patronage -- England -- Warwick -- History -- 19th century, Aesthetics, Women artists -- 19th century -- Biography
Official Date:	June 2021
Dates:	Date Event June 2021 UNSPECIFIED
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of History of Art
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Hatt, Michael, 1960-
Sponsors:	Centre for Arts Doctoral Research Excellence
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	2 volumes (multiple pagings) : illustrations
Language:	eng

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