A large collection of stories where one of a pair of separated lovers retains a portrait or some other image of the absent beloved, all discussed with vivid intelligence and zestful appreciation for their emotional punch and tonal variety.

A picture of deception . . . Annabelle Lawson knew nothing about the breathtaking stranger she met on the train—only that he'd make an ideal model for the budding young artist . . . and that she desired him more than she believed possible. But after she'd been seduced, she learned that she'd also been betrayed. The man she thought she loved was really Magnus Wallis—a scoundrel like his father before him, the loathed cousin of Annabelle's benefactor, the honorable Earl of Whitby. A landscape of love . . . No longer the naively romantic girl who would tumble for a rogue, Annabelle cannot avoid a reunion with the despicable Magnus, who wants to include her portraits in his new London gallery. She means to show him her coldest face—but upon seeing him again, her every intention melts from the heat of his touch. It is clear that Magnus still burns with love for her. But is he still the villain he once was, or can he be reformed into a man Annabelle can dare to love?

Museum researcher Zelda Richardson is swept into the mystery surrounding artwork hidden from the Nazis during World War II. But Zelda's not the only one searching for the missing paintings - and her rival would kill to find them first...

There are a surprising number of stories from antiquity about people who fall in love with statues or paintings, and about lovers who use such visual representations as substitutes for an absent beloved. In a charmingly conversational, witty meditation on this literary theme, Maurizio Bettini moves into a wide-ranging consideration of the relationship between self and image, the nature of love in the ancient world, the role of representation in culture, and more. Drawing on historical events and cultural practices as well as literary works, The Portrait of the Lover is a lucid excursion into the anthropology of the image. The majority of the stories and poems Bettini examines come from Greek and Roman classical antiquity, but he reaches as far as Petrarch, Da Ponte, and Poe. The stories themselves—ranging from the impassioned to the bizarre, and from the sublime to the hilarious—serve as touchstones for Bettini's evocative explorations of the role of representation in literature and in culture. Although he begins with a consideration of lovers' portraits, Bettini soon broadens his concerns to include the role of shadows, dreams, commemorative statues, statues brought to life, and vengeful statues—in short, an entire range of images that take on a life of their own. The chapters shift skillfully from one theme to another, touching on the nature of desire, loss, memory, and death. Bettini brings to the discussion of these tales not only a broad learning about cultures but also a delighted sense of wonder and admiration for the evocative power and endless variety of the stories themselves.

Why were so many late-nineteenth-century homosexuals passionate about the Italian Renaissance? This book answers that question by showing how the Victorian coupling of criminality with self-fashioning under the sign of the Renaissance provided queer intellectuals with an enduring model of ruthlessly permissive individualism.

The Literature Workbook is a practical introductory textbook for literary studies, which can be used either for independent study or as part of a taught class. Laying the ground for further study, The Literature Workbook introduces the beginning student to the essential analytic and interpretative skills that are needed for literary appreciation and evaluation. It also equips the teacher with practical tools and materials for use in seminars or when setting written assessments and projects. Arranged according to genre and chronology, the chapters acquaint the reader with a range of key figures in English literaure and encourage the reader to think about them in their historical and cultural contexts. Adopting a user-friendly case-study approach, each chapter contains * exercises and activities * discussion hints * project work * suggestions for further reading The Workbook also includes: * a glossary * a subject and name index.

Preity had everything she ever wanted: a successful career, a beautiful home, and, most importantly, Aadi - the artist who filled her life with colors and passion. They were madly in love, and nothing could separate them. Or so she thought. One day, Aadi disappeared without a trace, leaving Preity shattered and alone. She had no idea what happened to him or why he left her. Was he in danger? Did he have a secret? Did he stop loving her? Preity embarked on a desperate quest to find Aadi and to find the answers to her questions. Along the way, she discovered more about herself, her love, and the art that connected them. This is a story of love, loss, and longing. A story of a girl who loved an artist, and an artist who was art.