The Iconization and Mythologization of Byron’s Life and Work in Nineteenth-Century Netherlands and Europe
Lord Byron is one of the most striking nineteenth-century examples of an icon in the modern sense of the word. Far into the nineteenth century Byron and the main characters from his poems remained models for the rebellious ‘romantic’ hero: a modern version of Milton’s fallen angel. Much has been written about Byron’s work, life and reputation. This enduring interest makes ‘Byron’ ideally suited for a demonstration of research into the historical development of an iconic person as a cultural model. The chapter analyses the Dutch reception of Byron and shows its entanglement with the discussion about the ‘un-Dutch’ character of Romanticism. Paradoxically, there was also an appropriation of Byron, resulting in a Christian ‘light’ version of the ‘Byronic hero’.