Ekphrastic Medieval Visions: A New Discussion in Interarts Theory

Ekphrasis, a genre of poetry describing a work of art, has traditionally existed on the ideological battleground between the verbal and visual arts. Medieval ekphrases, however, reveal ekphrasis as a process rather than a genre and show how it works with cultural memory to transform, shift, and revise composition. Claire Barbetti explores the high and late medieval dream visions and mystical visions, ending with considerations of contemporary poetry to illustrate how medieval ekphrasis can illuminate current studies in poetics.