Léonor-Jo Barnard

leonor jo barnard
DPhil Candidate
St Edmund Hall

Thesis title: Thomas Hardy’s Artistic Influences: Nature, Colour and Impression.

 

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: 

  • "Dark and Earthy Shades: Ecological Consciousness in Thomas Hardy." Chromotope, Sorbonne Université, Paris, June 2025 (planned talk)
  • "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.

 

Teaching Experience within the Faculty:

  • 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.