This volume introduces key themes within Victorian art through a variety of essays by leading scholars in the field. The book opens with an introductory essay on the broad scope of Victorian art and subsequent topics include the display of art, the impact of women artists and Victorian sculpture.

Illustrated from a leading collection of Victorian art, this text introduces key themes within Victorian art through a variety of essays by leading scholars in the field. Most introductory books on Victorian art have sought to cover the tremendous ground of the period through general surveys of key movements and forms of art. This book deals rather with themes that were relevant to the period, revealing a broad scope of expression and opinion within each. In its exploration of themes, the book is heavily illustrated with works from the art collection of the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth, whose breadth is reflective of the diversity of art that was created in Britain between 1837 and 1901. It opens with an introductory essay outlining the broad scope of Victorian art, while subsequent essays explore topics including the display of art in the period, the impact of women artists, depictions of the nude, the use of prints, representations of animals, and Victorian sculpture. Published in the cententary year of Queen Victoria's death, the book is a detailed survey of this diverse and innovative period.