Christina Rossetti and Illustration

This groundbreaking study reveals how Christina Rossetti's poetry was fundamentally shaped by visual culture, demonstrating that her commitment to illustration was central rather than peripheral to her creative vision. Lorraine Janzen Kooistra's meticulous archival work uncovers new insights into Rossetti's publishing relationships and her strategic approach to copyright, showing how these business decisions directly influenced the physical books that reached Victorian readers. The book presents a compelling visual-verbal aesthetic that reconfigures our understanding of Rossetti's poetics and artistic collaborations.

What distinguishes this work is its interdisciplinary approach, bridging literary analysis with art history and publishing studies to create a holistic portrait of Rossetti as both poet and publishing professional. Scholars of Victorian literature, book history, and illustration will find particularly valuable the fresh perspective on how Rossetti navigated the commercial aspects of authorship while maintaining artistic integrity. Kooistra's research fundamentally transforms our understanding of nineteenth-century women writers' engagement with the material conditions of book production.