Making Sport: Jane Austen and the Art of Satire by Annalie Talent

The Arts Society Steyning talk on Jane Austen

Jane Austen was a gifted social satirist.  Despite the fact that her novels are best known today as love stories, throughout her work she takes delight in lampooning human folly and vanity.  We know that Austen was inspired by satirical writings of the 18th century, but to what extent may she have been influenced by the satirical art of her day?

This lecture will explore links between the visual image and the written word; it will draw on a range of satirical prints published during Austen’s lifetime – including those by Thomas Rowlandson and James Gillray – and consider how far these visual images may have influenced and inspired one of our greatest and best loved novelists.