Ivory, Apes and Peacocks

"Ivory, Apes and Peacocks" by James Huneker is a collection of literary and artistic essays written in the early 20th century. The work delves into the lives and contributions of prominent figures in literature, music, and visual arts, including Joseph Conrad, Walt Whitman, and Jules Laforgue, exploring their legacies and the zeitgeist that influenced their creations. The opening of the book introduces readers to the essay on Joseph Conrad, portraying him as a unique and disinterested artist amidst the tumult of contemporary fiction. Huneker articulates Conrad's profound connection to the sea and his ability to convey the depths of the human psyche through rich, evocative prose. The essay hints at Conrad's distinctive style, blending detailed descriptions with psychological insights, setting the stage for a broader examination of artists who challenged societal norms through their work. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

James Gibbons Huneker was an American art, book, music, and theater critic. A colorful individual and an ambitious writer, he was "an American with a great mission," in the words of his friend, the critic Benjamin De Casseres, and that mission was to educate Americans about the best cultural achievements, native and European, of his time. From 1892 to 1899, he was the husband of the sculptor Clio Hinton.