Transnational Representations of the Region, 1840-1940

The nineteenth century witnessed an upsurge of interest in the region across Europe and North America, in media ranging from literary fiction to the illustrated periodical and from visual arts to architecture. This rise of regionalism has often been linked to nationalism and nation building. However, depictions of the region circulated across borders or interacted with transnational cultural repertoires of the local. These often overlooked transnational aspects are the focus of this volume which considers cultural representations of the region during the long nineteenth century, in its variety of dimensions, across all expressive media.

[This] collection consistently draws out the border-crossing dynamics through which the very perception of ‘regions’ is generated and maintained. Contributions by established and emerging scholars all rise to the challenge of contextualizing representations of specific regions in transnational networks of exchange. [...] The volume is resolutely interdisciplinary, encompassing various literary genres as well as music, visual arts, and world fairs. It will ensure that the region is, in the best possible sense, ‘all over the place’. – Raphaël Ingelbien, Professor of English Literature at KU Leuven
The nineteenth century witnessed an upsurge of interest in the region across Europe and North America, in media ranging from literary fiction to the illustrated periodical and from visual arts to architecture. This rise of regionalism has often been linked to nationalism and nation building. However, depictions of the region circulated across borders or interacted with transnational cultural repertoires of the local. These often overlooked transnational aspects are the focus of this volume which considers cultural representations of the region during the long nineteenth century, in its variety of dimensions, across all expressive media.

[This] collection consistently draws out the border-crossing dynamics through which the very perception of ‘regions’ is generated and maintained. Contributions by established and emerging scholars all rise to the challenge of contextualizing representations of specific regions in transnational networks of exchange. [...] The volume is resolutely interdisciplinary, encompassing various literary genres as well as music, visual arts, and world fairs. It will ensure that the region is, in the best possible sense, ‘all over the place’. – Raphaël Ingelbien, Professor of English Literature at KU Leuven