‘The flesh-tints of Rubens’: Henry James’ Contribution to the Construction of Englishness

Abstract

Analyzes Henry James’ comments on Belgium, Flanders, and Flemish art in the context of nineteenth-century English literature, imperialism, and the construction of an English identity. Notes that the Low Countries have always occupied a special place in the accounts of British travelers in that they provided an Other that helped define the English character; Flanders in particular was seen as a country that in the eyes of the English tourist, owed its very existence to the heroic sacrifice of the English, while Rubens is often used to symbolize the objectionable decadence of the Belgians. Compares James’ early reflections on Belgium and Flanders with those of his English colleagues; also traces and analyzes his later comments in his nonfiction and correspondence to determine if there is an evolution in his thought that parallels the typically English attitude toward Belgium.