Croatian art and literature in the English 19th century travel books about Dalmatia

Abstract

As early as the Middle Ages some British people were travelling along the Dalmatian coast, most of them on their way to the Holy Land where they were participating in the Crusades. Their interest varied from century to century. In the Middle Ages they used to visit the holy places and shrines, but from the 17th century onwards another kind of interest can be followed (architectural monuments, nature, natural resources). In the 19th century new trends in the English political and scientific life prompted new explorations. The travel writers of the 19th century recognize the value of the monuments and literature in Dalmatia but express at the same time, their disbelief in the capability and possibility of the autochthonous Dalmatian population to be authors of sucli works of art. Therefore their works (Wilkinson, Paton, Jackson) are a kind of autobiography and at the same time tell a lot about the official policy of their country towards small nations and their culture, and show a kind of opposition towards their national and cultural independence. As many of the travel accounts were financed and prompted by important British institutions they obviously had a great influence on the opinion and stance of their members, which can be followed up to the present day.