Principle in Art, Etc.

Patmore (1823-96) was an English poet and critic best known for The Angel in the House, his narrative poem about an ideal happy marriage. He had early aspirations to become an artist and then a poet but his father's financial embarassment led to him accepting a post as assistant in the printed books department of the British Museum which he held for 19 years, writing poetry in his spare time. The publication of an early collection of poems resulted in an introduction to the Pre-Raphaelite Botherhood and he contributed a poem to their journal The Germ. After some success with his poetical works he turned to criticism, many of his essays appearing in the St James's Gazette. This collection of essays is reprinted from an edition of 1889.