Poetry and Painting

The inaugural T J Clark seminar this term focused on John Ashbery’s ‘Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror’ (right) and the painting by Parmigianino to which it responds (left).

In recent years, Keble has been building on its reputation as a thriving international centre for the study of poetry and its place in our culture. In addition to the bi-weekly poetry reading group, The Salutation and Cat, the College is home to two well-established series: Poets at Keble and The Poet’s Essay seminars with Adam Phillips. All these initiatives are open to the public and attract wide audiences from within and beyond the university.

Thanks to the generous support of a donor, Jason Pontin, this term saw the inauguration of an exciting new series, Poetry and Painting, led by T J Clark. Professor Clark is one of the world’s most renowned art historians. He taught for many years at the University of California, Berkeley, and in 2005 received a Mellon Foundation Distinguished Achievement Award. Clark is the author of several pioneering books: The Painting of Modern Life: Paris in the Art of Manet and his Followers (1985), Farewell to an Idea: Episodes from a History of Modernism (1999), The Sight of Death: An Experiment in Art Writing (2006), Picasso and Truth: From Cubism to Guernica (2013), Heaven on Earth: Painting and the Life to Come (2018), and If These Apples Should Fall: Cézanne and the Present (2022). His work has helped to redefine what art writing might be and do, and it is a privilege to welcome him to the College.

Poems about paintings have long been part of literary tradition, and many such poems go on being written. Why? What is hoped for from them? What is involved in the passage from picture to word? The Poetry and Painting seminar series looks at particular poems and paintings, ancient and modern, with such questions in mind. Seminars take place three times a year. There are no sign-up lists or reserved places (free entry, and all are welcome). A few weeks in advance of each seminar, a handout is made available via a downloadable link which features the poetry and painting to be discussed, and at the seminar Clark introduces the material and leads the discussion.

The inaugural seminar this term focused on John Ashbery’s ‘Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror’ and the painting by Parmigianino to which it responds. The event was a great success; around 120 people attended and conversation was lively and engaging. The future of poetry at Keble looks bright!

For more information about the series—or any of the initiatives mentioned above—please contact Professor Matthew Bevis.