Arthur OShaughnessy

In her study of Arthur OShaughnessy (1844-1881), Jordan Kistler examines the Pre-Raphaelite poets work in the context of his career as a natural historian at the British Museum. Making use of extensive archival research, she demonstrates OShaughnessys importance to the cultural milieu of the 1870s, particularly his contributions to English aestheticism, his role in the importation of decadence from France, and his unique position within contemporary debates on science and literature.