Resisting mechanisation? Reading Shortshanks’ ‘The March of Intellect’ (c. 1828) through the lenses of Daniel and Edward Irving
Resisting mechanisation? Reading Shortshanks’ ‘The March of Intellect’ (c. 1828) through the lenses of Daniel and Edward Irving
One of the most celebrated March of Intellect prints from the 1820s was created by Robert Seymour: a man-machine strides across the page, sweeping away abuses with its Brougham, and saving the people by the spread of knowledge from its printing press legs. However, such a reading ignores the nuancing of the image by the caption. This article will proffer a detailed reading of the image through the caption via two different lenses: a probable source text from the Old Testament book of Daniel and the preaching of Edward Irving. Through such an exploration, this paper will argue that whilst Seymour’s print is a sharp critique on those who claimed that mechanistic philosophies would solve the abuses of the day, it is complicated by the caption being framed as Irving-esque speech. Whether this print was a critique on mechanistic philosophies or fanatical preaching, Seymour left for his viewers to decide.
March of Intellect, Seymour, Irving, mechanisation, Daniel, 1820s
36-53
Dessain, Helen-Frances
9badeea4-3996-419b-8c0d-05c3f664cccd
January 2020
Dessain, Helen-Frances
9badeea4-3996-419b-8c0d-05c3f664cccd
Dessain, Helen-Frances
(2020)
Resisting mechanisation? Reading Shortshanks’ ‘The March of Intellect’ (c. 1828) through the lenses of Daniel and Edward Irving.
Romance, Revolution and Reform, (2), .
Abstract
One of the most celebrated March of Intellect prints from the 1820s was created by Robert Seymour: a man-machine strides across the page, sweeping away abuses with its Brougham, and saving the people by the spread of knowledge from its printing press legs. However, such a reading ignores the nuancing of the image by the caption. This article will proffer a detailed reading of the image through the caption via two different lenses: a probable source text from the Old Testament book of Daniel and the preaching of Edward Irving. Through such an exploration, this paper will argue that whilst Seymour’s print is a sharp critique on those who claimed that mechanistic philosophies would solve the abuses of the day, it is complicated by the caption being framed as Irving-esque speech. Whether this print was a critique on mechanistic philosophies or fanatical preaching, Seymour left for his viewers to decide.
Text
5419df_3e23ba5c18f348b4a4bbe63b0865d68a
- Version of Record
More information
Published date: January 2020
Keywords:
March of Intellect, Seymour, Irving, mechanisation, Daniel, 1820s
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 438268
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/438268
ISSN: 2517-7850
PURE UUID: abc2e299-eee8-41d6-a006-f22074d11b8a
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 04 Mar 2020 17:32
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 06:59
Export record
Contributors
Author:
Helen-Frances Dessain
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics