Poetry, Painting and Alexander Pope

Dr Judith Hawley

The eighteenth-century poet, Alexander Pope, was a very painterly poet and also much depicted by painters. He was acquainted with artists such as Godfrey Kneller and studied painting with Charles Jervas. His villa in Twickenham was lavishly decorated with portraits, mostly of his wide circle of friends. He also painted pictures in words. Many of his most famous poems, including 'The Rape of the Lock' (1712-14) and 'The Dunciad' (1728-43) are intensely visual.

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About the talk

The eighteenth-century poet, Alexander Pope, was a very painterly poet and also much depicted by painters. He was acquainted with artists such as Godfrey Kneller and studied painting with Charles Jervas. His villa in Twickenham was lavishly decorated with portraits, mostly of his wide circle of friends. He also painted pictures in words. Many of his most famous poems, including ‘The Rape of the Lock’ (1712-14) and ‘The Dunciad’ (1728-43) are intensely visual. This talk explores the connections between Pope and painters, and presents his ‘Epistle to a Lady’ as a tour of a virtual picture gallery.

About the speaker

Judith Hawley is Professor of Eighteenth-Century Literature in the Department of English, Royal Holloway, University of London and frequently appears on BBC radio and TV. She is a Trustee of the Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust. Her research interests range from gin to Grub Street and she has a particular interest in the history of the amateur performance.