>LITTERARIA PRAGENSIA 2026 (36) 71
ABSTRACT (en)
This article examines the intersection of geology, mythology, and visual culture in Romanticism through the example of the Scottish island of Staffa and its representation in European art. Prompted by the rise of geotourism and the widespread popularity of the Ossianic myth in the late eighteenth century, Staffa emerged as both a geological and a mythic site. Focusing on works by Charles Gore, Carl Gustav Carus, and J.M.W. Turner, the essay explores how landscape painting functioned as a medium for negotiating scientific, aesthetic, and cultural discourses. While Gore’s drawings mediate between textual sources and visual representation, Carus integrates scientific observation and Romantic philosophy to visualise “earth-life painting.” Turner, in contrast, addresses the environmental impact of industrialisation, embedding myth, modern tourism, and deep time within the concept of the “Anthropozoic.” By analysing how the Ossianic myth of Fingal’s Cave became part of a transnational Romantic visuality, the article highlights the interdependence of image, narrative, and scientific imagination. It argues that landscape paintings of Staffa reflect broader epistemic shifts and contribute to a modern mythology shaped by both national identity and ecological awareness. Ultimately, the essay sheds new light on Romanticism as a hybrid, interdisciplinary, and internationally connected phenomenon.
KEYWORDS (en)
geology, mythology, Staffa, ecocriticism, transnational Romanticism, Charles Gore, J.M.W. Turner, Carl Gustav Carus
DOI
https://doi.org/10.14712/2571452X.2026.71.5
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