Historical Influences on James's "The Real Thing"

by Nikki Harding

           During the 1900s the lure of illustration was becoming more prominent. According to Brake and Demoor, “As is the case in the history of publishing, textual, and paratextual changes often involve technological and cultural developments” (4). Because of the printing press and other developments illustration was able to spread quickly and was accepted more often. Before artists were not taken seriously nor was being an artist considered a respected profession. Illustration was considered as “distracting from ‘higher’ matters” and “it involved a reversion of babyish perception” (Brake, Demoor 5). It was not until the “magazine revolution” that illustration became popular and respected.

            I found that during the magazine revolution illustrations played a critical role in the writing profession. It was debated whether or not illustrations benefited literature or whether it harmed literature. During the life of Henry James, “the crucial role of the illustrated press in the formation of the reading public and the writing profession” (Tucker xv) was a widely discussed idea. Periodicals of this century were considered to be “turn-of - the- century” (Tucker xvi). They were considered to be that because they consisted of illustrations, which literature did not before the nineteenth century. James may not have thought at the time that he was an advocate for the use of illustration in literature, but Tucker says “For all his ardent objections to illustration, the truth is that James himself, more than any other fiction writer of his time, repeatedly and at length made the case for a serious consideration of ‘the art of illustration in black and white’”(xix). Much of his works were comprised of illustration. Tucker says “two examples of James’s illustrated texts: the frontispieces he commissioned for the New York Edition of his collected works and the drawings that accompanied his short story “The Real Thing” in Black and White magazine” (xvii). The use of illustration in literature and in magazines made consumers more apt to buy literary works which made illustrated literature and magazines very popular in the nineteen hundreds. Brake and Demoor say, “Text and image, text alongside image, text as image- these are the combinations one is confronted with when one studies nineteenth century print and media and its rise in consumer culture” (12).  With this being said, the “magazine revolution” had a great effect on how artists and illustrations were viewed. Since illustrations were becoming more popular so were artists and careers as an artist.

            These findings are significant and can show us as readers why James wrote the story “The Real Thing”. This story was written in the 1900s, a time when illustration was beginning to be used with text. In the story, the artist is trying to find models to pose for him for a literary work. The artist wanted to be considered a professional and wanted art to be his career in the story. I think James saw this as a universal problem and during the nineteenth century saw this problem begin to unfold. Watching this happen, inspired and led him to write about the obstacles and barriers artists face. He also showed in his story that illustration was slowly becoming part of text. He had The Monarchs, and Miss Churm posing for an illustration for a literary work. Because of this it compels me to say that because of the “magazine revolution” this event is being discussed in his story. Tucker says “Indeed for evidence of James’s serious and sustained consideration of the competitive relationship of image and text, we need look no further than the author’s repeated thematizing of the subject in the tales of authors and artists he took up with renewed intensity through the 1890s” (xvii). This quote shows that in the 1890s, James did take up in interest in authors and artists and due to my research he did so because of the “magazine revolution.” Do you think that historical events and time periods influence an author’s writing?

Works Cited

Brake, Laurel, and Marysa Demoor. The Lure of Illustration in the Nineteenth Century. London:

            Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Print.

Tucker, Amy. The Illustration of the Master. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2010. Print.