'More deathlike': The Aesthetics of Liminality in Pre-Raphaelite Art and Literature

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In my PhD thesis, I intend to argue that Pre-Raphaelite art and literature created a complex and distinct aesthetic through which to explore the liminal states between life anddeath; moreover, I will investigate how this aesthetic was influenced by, and influenced, photography and its role in capturing the dead. My PhD thesis will thus provide the first full account of the role of, and relationship between, Pre-Raphaelitism and photography within the Victorian cult of death; and will present the first in-depth investigation into theoretical conceptions of liminality and how these inform representations and readings of Victorian depictions of mortality.