The Glance of the Lord

When we say “Byron,” we are overcome not by the music of unforgettable poetry, as is the case with great writers, but (in the words of critic Mario Praz) by a flood of irresistible images: “That fatal profile, the pronounced chin, the curving lips, the eyelids slightly lowered over the proud gaze of the eyes, the elegantly disarranged hair, and the Apollo-like neck rising from the open shirt. We still see Byron as he was seen by the women who were his contemporaries, who – some more and some less – dreamed of him.” Byron was a rock star of his time, though in his diaries he entertains the suspicion that he’s been far more popular than he deserved. This inner counterpoint to the scandals, passions, and posturing makes him all the more attractive a figure, even now. In these pages, FMR explores the last great love of Byron’s life as well as Byron’s immense influence on the visual arts. In fact, the poet captivated painters from Hayez to Delacroix, though he himself confessed that paintings bored him.