In this study, I explore four representations of the Devil as a fallen angel in nineteenth century France in order to better understand the way in which the artists at this time used the symbol of the Devil to express their viewpoints on the various social, political and cultural changes in France. In the first chapter, I provide a survey of the artistic development of the Devil, from his angelic roots in the Old Testament to his near disappearance during the Enlightenment. I examine the semantic difficulties when discussing the Devil, as well as the current literature on his philosophical, theological and cultural significance. The second chapter is dedicated to an in-depth analysis of the four works in which I situate the image within the artist’s larger body of work and then examine the physical representation of the Devil, the landscape in which he is found and the transitory moment of the fall depicted. In the third chapter I provide a historical context for these representations and demonstrate the way in which they reflect the political and cultural agitation in France at the time due to the multiple revolutions, changes in governing structure and advances in science and technology. Through this exploration of these four representations, I propose that the Devil provides unique insight as to the ongoing artistic conceptualisation and perceptions of the state of humanity in an increasingly modern world. / Graduate / walkerem@uvic.ca

This thesis provides an overview of the engagement with the material culture of Assyria, unearthed in the Middle East from 1845 onwards by British and French archaeologists. It sets the artistic discovery of Assyria within the visual culture of the period through reference not only to painting but also to illustrated newspapers, books, journals, performances and popular entertainments. The thesis presents a more vigorous, interlinked, and widespread engagement than previous studies have indicated, primarily by providing a comprehensive corpus of artistic responses. The artistic connections between Britain and France were close. Works influenced by Assyria were published, exhibited and reviewed in the contemporary press, on both sides of the English Channel. Some artists, such as Gustave Doré, successfully maintained careers in both London and Paris. It is therefore often meaningless to speak of a wholly ‘French’ or ‘British’ reception, since these responses were coloured by artistic crosscurrents that operated in both directions, a crucial theme to be explored in this dissertation. In Britain, print culture also transported to the regions, away from large metropolitan centres, knowledge of Assyria and Assyrian-inspired art through its appeal to the market for biblical images. Assyria benefited from the explosion in graphical communication. This thesis examines the artistic response to Assyria within a chronological framework. It begins with an overview of the initial period in the 1850s that traces the first British discoveries. Chapter Two explores the different artistic turn Assyria took in the 1860s. Chapter Three deals with the French reception in the second half of the nineteenth century. Chapter Four concludes the British reception up to 1900, and Chapter Five deals with the twentieth century. The thesis contends that far from being a niche subject engaged with a particular group of artists, Assyrian art was a major rediscovery that affected all fields of visual culture in the nineteenth century.