Seeing with Words: Ekphrasis and Book Illustration - A research talk with Dr. Daniel Holcombe

Join Dr. Daniel Holcombe from the Department of World Languages and Cultures as he shares his most recent research. Holcombe will present his newest book project, an edited collection of essays that explore how ekphrasis – the vivid, written description of an object or work of art – has expanded into various typologies over the last 20 years. 

This expansion exemplifies the complex relationship between the sister arts: text and image. Holcombe’s research centers on the holistic study of 400 years of book illustrations of Don Quixote of la Mancha. These studies inspire close readings of the novel to understand compositional elements of the visual art that illustrates them. Book illustrations represent one type of ekphrasis, while our analysis of the imagery represents another, thereby formulating a reciprocity that enhances the study of literature.