Ekphrasis as a stylistic means of creating an image in biography (based on the biographies of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire)

The article explores instances of actual ekphrasis (verbal representation of actual works of art) in biographies of the 18th century British socialite Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. Through the case study approach, we argue that ekphrasis serves as a stylistic device in biographies and helps shape the reader’s perception of the subject. Published in different decades of the 20th century, the four biographies of the Duchess illustrate historical move of the biography from novelization towards factual narrative. The study leads to a conclusion that, in the analyzed biographies, the use of ekphrasis is linked to their stylistic aspect. Extended descriptive-interpretive ekphrases prevail in the novelized biographies of I. Leveson Gower and A. Calder-Marshall. Ekphrases are lexically expressive, they can be used to create antithesis or introduced into the narrative through free indirect speech. B. Masters, the author of one of the two factual biographies, desists from using ekphrasis. A. Forman favours condensed descriptive ekphrases that she introduces into the narrative through letter and newspaper excerpts. As is the case with novelized biographies, ekphrasis in Forman’s factual biography acts as a stylistic device that creates imagery in a factual narration yet preserving its authenticity.