The role of cover design in T. Chevalier's novels

The article analyzes the role of the artistic cover design in the novels of contemporary British author Tracy Chevalier. The interaction of fiction text and artistic cover which defines «graphical image» of the book and creates a special «before-text perception element» has a cultural and semantic potential aimed at the reader. The covers of the given books are being analyzed, they are real visual art works presented in the text of the novel (Vermeer of Delft's paintings, series of six «The Lady and the Unicorn» tapestries) and the images that cooperate with the novel images and characters in thematic and associative way (Paul Cesar Helleu's paintings and Jeff Cottenden's photography). Original covers are compared with Russian analogues in the aspect of artistic coherence and value.