Léonor-Jo Barnard

leonor jo barnard
Post-Award Member
St Edmund Hall

Thesis title: Thomas Hardy’s Art: A Proto-Ecological Aesthetic Exploration of Nature

 

Supervisor: Professor Stefano Evangelista

 

Research interests: Victorian literature, visual perception, literature and visual culture, art theory,  environmental studies, eco-criticism, the portrayal of landscapes in literature, Victorian emotion.

 

Doctoral research: My research involves a comprehensive exploration of the nuanced relationship between visual perception, artistic representation, and literary expression, focusing on Hardy’s artistic education. Specifically, it examines Hardy’s exploration of landscape depiction and human presence within different types of landscapes as influenced by his engagement with the writings of John Ruskin. Beyond merely analysing Hardy’s artistic techniques, my thesis aims to enrich our understanding of the ecological and eco-critical dimensions of nature, shedding light on the intricate connections between literature, art, and the environment.

My thesis highlights the interplay between Hardy’s writing style, influenced by his engagement with the visual arts, and the portrayal of specific landscapes (seascapes, vegetation, hillscapes, and skyscapes…), thereby shaping the narrative structure. It will also study how Hardy’s use of colour in describing the settings evokes distinct art practices and styles that Hardy was acquainted with.

 

Conference Papers and Talks: 

  • 'Emerging Ecological Consciousness in Nineteenth-Century Literature'. Environmental Humanities Hub, Oxford, October 2026.
  • 'Painting the Fields: Vegetation and Attentive Seeing in Hardy’s Work'. The 27th International Thomas Hardy Conference and Festival, Dorchester, July 2026. 
  • 'Atmospheric Darkening in Tennyson: Ruskin and Hardy as Proto-Ecological Frame'. Tennyson 2026: Ecology, Landscape, Environment, Lincoln, July 2026 
  • Round Table Speaker for Résidence INHALAB 2026 « Aux origines du regard écologique : les imaginaires du XIXe siècle ». Séance 6 : Couleur, Paris, June 2026.
  • 'The Meaning of Nature in Nineteenth-Century British Literature'. English Society, Magdalen College School, Oxford, March 2026.
  • 'Painting with Words and Colours: Thomas Hardy’s Proto-Ecological Vision'. French D-Phil Prize, Maison Française, Oxford, September 2025.
  • 'Dark and Earthy Shades: Ecological Consciousness in Thomas Hardy'. Chromotope, Sorbonne Université, Paris, June 2025.
  • 'A Darkening Egdon Heath: Hardy's Aesthetic of Change'. Special Interest Event: Thomas Hardy Literature and Context, Oxford University, Christ-Church College, April 2025.
  • 'Ecological Consciousness in Thomas Hardy’s Egdon Heath'. Nineteenth-Century Graduate Forum, Oxford University, English Faculty, February 2025.
  • 'Exploring Hardy’s Visual Archives: Landscapes in A Pair of Blue Eyes'. The 26th International Thomas Hardy Conference and Festival, Dorchester, July 2024.
  • 'Victorian Literature and Visual Culture: The Colour Debates of the 19th century'. Saint Edmund Hall Academic Seminar, Oxford University, Saint Edmund Hall, March 2023.

 

Papers and Publications:

  • 'Thomas Hardy’s Turn to Impressionistic Representation'. The Thomas Hardy Journal, Autumn 2026.
  • 'A Review of Ockham’s Razor – Tess at the Oxford Playhouse'. The Thomas Hardy Journal, Spring 2025, Vol 21. No1.

Teaching Experience within the Faculty:

  • Non-Stipendiary Lecturer in English, Prelims Paper 3: “Literature in English 1830-1910”, University College, University of Oxford. October 2026 - June 2027.
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant: Paper 6 course, “Seeing Things: Poetry and the Visual Arts”, in the English Faculty at the University of Oxford with Matthew Bevis and Fergus McGhee. Michaelmas 2024.

Professional and Scholarly Activities:

  • Panel Chair, 27th International Thomas Hardy Conference and Festival. Dorchester, July 2026.
  • Peer Reviewer, The Thomas Hardy Society Journal. 2026.
  • Co-Founder & Convenor, Nineteenth-Century Graduate Forum, Faculty of English Language and Literature, University of Oxford. Michaelmas 2023 - Trinity 2025.

Awards: