A Victorian Christmas

Seasons greetings! It is well into December and I am getting rather Christmassy - the decorations have been put up today and most of the presents have been wrapped. All this festivity got me thinking about what Christmas was like in the Victorian era...

At the beginning of the 19th century, Christmas was not widely celebrated, but by the end of Queen Victoria's reign it had become more like the holiday we are so fond of today. The royal family itself are the ones we have most to thank for the introduction of Christmas to Britain. In 1848 (the same year of the formation of our beloved PRB) the Illustrated London News published a drawing of the royal family around a Christmas tree, which Prince Albert had introduced from Germany. Soon nearly every home contained a decorated tree, complete with ribbons, candles, sweets and homemade decorations. Apparently Victoria and Albert decorated their tree themselves, and the children hung gingerbread on the branches - what a lovely idea! Wish I had thought of putting gingerbread on my tree before I swamped it with baubles...

 What an evenly decorated tree! though with that many candles it looks to be somewhat of a fire hazard...

In 1843 a design for a Christmas card was commissioned by Henry Cole. There were 1,000 copies and each had to be hand coloured. The card sold for one shilling each - this was more than the average person could pay. However, with the advancement in printing technology, the Christmas card became extremely popular - in 1880 alone 1.5 million cards were produced. 

Another commercial aspect to Christmas was invented, again, in 1848 when British confectioner, Tom Smith, came up with a novel and festive way to sell sweets. Inspired by a trip to Paris where he saw sugared almonds sold in twists of paper, he invented the first Christmas crackers. these were at first filled with sweets, then later in the century the contents were changed to paper hats, small gifts and bad jokes.

Ice skating, a popular Victorian past time. That gentleman looks like a very good ice skater! He also looks rather like the other man in the background, and the others too - did the painter run out of models, perhaps?

Camille Pissarro 1879

Claude Monet 1880

While searching for Victorian winter paintings, I came across these two beautiful landscapes by Pissarro and Monet. I was interested to see that both works were painted in the same winter; looking it up I discovered that the winter of 1879-80 was particularly harsh, apparently the seventh worst on record. France was bitterly cold - a temperature of -25.6C was recorded in Paris and the Seine was frozen over. Only by February 1880 did the cold finally fade away, almost two years later, for the cold weather started in '78. 
I love the different shades of blue in Pissarro's painting, really shows the frozen ground and air - makes me shiver even to look at it! The pastel colours of Monet's painting are beautiful, which contrast between the bright orange of the setting sun and its reflection, and the dark shadowy skeletons of trees. I always love finding new paintings - its so interesting not just to study the paintings themselves, but also look into the history around when they were produced. There are so many amazing things in the past. Oh, the beauty of art history!

Merry Christmas!

Thoughts on a Mumford & Sons Concert

I am a little apprehensive of this post, for it is not the kind that I intended to do when I set up my blog. However, I felt compelled to share my thoughts on this subject, for it is very dear to me. Last Tuesday I was lucky enough to see Mumford & Sons in the Newcastle Metro Radio Arena. (I apologize for the quality of the photos, they were taken on my phone) I cannot describe in words how wonderful it was to see my favourite band in concert.  The power of music always amazes me. Here are my humble thoughts...

Starting with a quick word about the support acts. The first was a British band called the Post War Years. Because I have never really liked that style of music, I was surprised to find my self really enjoying their performance - the energy and love the talented young men had for their music was obvious, and watching them perform was compelling. I was rather in awe of the lead singer's dancing - a strange dance it was but intriguing! The second act was the Dawes, all the way from America. I enjoyed their songs and will look more into their music. Obviously, the crowd went wild when Marcus Mumford was invited to do a song with them!

 Finally, it was the turn of Mumford & Sons. As was to be expected the place was in uproar - the starting song was the magnificent Babel. Though I go regularly to concerts, I have never been standing, so was a little taken a back by the energy of the crowd, but by the end of the song I was jumping and singing along with everybody. Our proximity to the stage exceeded my expectations (front row!) - Ted Dwane was less than a metre away and I was able to see his beautiful Movember moustache!

The gig went on for longer than I expected - for over two hours! They played about 15 songs; classics from Sigh No More and newer tracks from Babel. Thistle and Weeds was exceptionally beautiful; with a really long building intro and the tension is slowly built up into a most divine and well composed piece of music. Hopless Wanderer was, obviously, a great one to hear live - the energy of the band is infectious! I was very pleased that Broken Crown was included, for it is my favourite; a dark but hauntingly beautiful song. It was also lovely to see Winston Marshall sing For Those below on his own - he has a beautiful voice - the audience went silent. A very surreal moment.

When we thought the concert was sadly coming to an end, the band went off stage; but then appeared at the other side of the hall. For we were at the front of the main stage, we could not see them, but heard the band play an acoustic rendition of Timshel and Reminder. Again, the crowd fell silent and it was incredible moment to hear the divine voices echoing round the place. The encore was The Cave (epic!) and The Dawes came back on to play With a Little Help From My Friends together. A very fitting ending to an incredible night.

What a great concert! I still cannot believe that I have been able to see Mumford & Sons. The energy and passion they have for their music is incredible and infectious. It is obvious that they love performing their songs and that really comes through when watching them live. Because this is a band who primarily focus on live performances, it is incredible to see them in reality, much better than listening to their albums. I definitely recommend their concerts to anyone who loves this incredible band or even just loves concerts in general. Apart from going to the Tate's Pre-Raphaelite exhibition (review coming next week), seeing Mumford & Sons has been the highlight of my life!

Medea

When I decided to study Classical Civilization at A-Level, my only knowledge of the Classical world was watching the great films Jason and the Argonauts and Gladiator, and various classical subjects depicted in art. Taking this most curious and wondrous subject has to be one of the best decisions I have made - it is so very interesting! One painting always fascinated me - Medea by Frederick Sandys. I wondered what the story was. After going to see Euripides' play of the same name, I decided to research more about this interesting mythical woman. 

Medea by Frederick Sandys 1868. The model was Keomi Gray, a Gypsy woman Sandys used for many of his paintings. They had two sons together, before Sandys married the actress Mary Emma Jones (known as Miss Clive). The painting was submitted to the Royal Academy in 1868 but was rejected because of the paintings subject. It was accepted the following year and received good reviews. 

In Greek Mythology, Medea is best known as the wife of the hero Jason, of Jason and the Argonauts fame. She was the daughter of King Aeetes of Colchis, niece of Circe and granddaughter to the sun god Helios. She met Jason and fell in love with him, offering to help him on his quest for the golden fleece, but only if he took her home as his wife. Medea is often depicted as an enchantress or sorceress - she helps Jason using magic; potions, mysterious drugs, predicting the future. She also kills her brother... and Jason kills her understandably outraged father. According to some sources they stop by her aunt Circe to be cleansed for the murders.

Medea by Evelyn De Morgan. I find this depiction rather unusual, because to just glance at the painting you would not suppose this beautiful and serene woman to be a murderous sorceress. I love the flowing lines and colours of the fabric - one of my favourite aspects of De Morgans work. 

In his play, Euripides focuses on the later part of Medea's life. Jason has abandoned her for another king's daughter - driven mad by rage she swears her revenge. This takes the form of sending a poisoned dress to Jason's new wife; resulting in the woman's and her father's deaths. Still bent on revenge, Medea also kills her two children by Jason. After their murder, she flees to Athens on a golden chariot pulled by dragons, organised by her sun god grandfather... I suppose the ancient Greek equivalent to a fancy sports car?

 Jason and Medea by John William Waterhouse. In this painting, like many, Medea seems very much in control, Jason seems a little bemused and, rightfully, rather worried. In the play, Jason is not portrayed as the manly hero he is famed for, but more a little cowardly man, scared of his ex-wife. This contrast serves to highlight Medea's power over men. 

Medea 1862 by Eugene Delacroix

Because this is Ancient Greek myth, there cannot be just one ending - there are many, and none are happy. According to some, Medea murders her children by accident, in other variants she does not kill them at all. Her deliberate murders seem to be an invention of Euripides. As well as having the opportunity to watch some tremendous acting, I was very interested in the content of the play. Because the version I saw was a modern day adaptation, a mad, scary, powerful woman did not seem too far fetched, and her actions seemed like something out of a soap opera. However, to an ancient Greek audience this would have been rather controversial, I think, and I was surprised that her actions went unpunished - she was not put in her rightful place by a man or even punished by the gods by dying horribly. The modernization did loose some context - I am rather disappointed that there was no dragon at the end, though I was consoled with it being a very bloody ending - but it was very good, and interesting to contrast between modern and ancient perceptions. If the chance arises that you are able to see any version of this play please do - it is very interesting and thoroughly enjoyable. I hope my post was of some use to anybody wishing to know a little more about the interesting Medea and I hope my choice of paintings helped.
Best Wishes

Rossetti Drawings Part 3 - Lizzie Siddal

Elizabeth Siddal has become the symbol of the Pre-Raphaelite movement and their ideals of beauty. She was engaged to and finally married Dante Gabriel Rossetti. During their relationship, Rossetti made thousands of drawings of Lizzie; some preliminary sketches for paintings, others just observations during daily life. These drawings are both beautiful and sorrowful, for many of these were drawn when Lizzie was in a state of severe depression - she and Rossetti had a stillborn child in 1861 and she was addicted to laudanum, the substance which was to take her life in 1862. 

This is a watercolour sketch of Lizzie painting. She was not just an artists model; under the tuition of Rossetti and the patronage of John Ruskin, Lizzie pursued her love of painting, drawing and poetry.

These are three of my favourite portraits of Lizzie, for Rossetti has captured her expression perfectly. 

Rossetti Drawings Part 2 - Jane Morris

This post is dedicated to Dante Gabriel Rossetti's drawings of Jane Morris,wife of William Morris. Rossetti was obsessed with Jane and produced many works with her as the model. They also had a rather long affair... I have always found Jane to be the coldest, or rather, the most distant of Rossetti's models. However, for me, these drawings seem to offer a more expressionistic view of Jane and give quite an intimate insight into the nature of their somewhat puzzling relationship.

The Roseleaf 1870. This is a beautiful little drawing - the hair, hand and expression are lovely. The square format and Jane's pose are unusual - it shows off her profile and thoughtful expression that Rossetti was so interested in. 

 There are many drawings of Jane sitting or lying down.Because she was such an unusually tall woman she suffered from back problems, especially later in her life. 

I love this drawing - the hands are so well drawn and the dress is beautiful; very unusual and aesthetic.

A nice sketch of Jane in another lovely dress.

It was very hard to chose which drawings to put in this post. I decided to pick a range of different styles - the quick sketches show Jane in daily life,  the more stylized, posed works show her renowned beauty that so captivated Rossetti for so many years. 

Rossetti Drawings Part 1

Dante Gabriel Rossetti is perhaps my favourite Pre-Raphaelite artist. I cannot describe how much I love and admire his art. Though his paintings are the most famous of his works, I have recently discovered the wealth of beautiful drawings that Rossetti drew in the later and darker years of his life.

This is a portrait of an unidentified man 1870, the same model for Found. I love the expression and the defined features of the face. A very handsome gentleman with lovely hair.

Two lovely drawings of Fanny Cornforth. The first, from the warm colours, I think, is quite intimate and emphatic. The second is more dignified, the earring and plaited hair are beautifully detailed.

A beautiful portrait of Marie Spartali Stillman. What lovely hair she had!

 There are so many beautiful drawings, too many to put in one post. I will dedicate the next couple of posts to drawings of certain models - Jane Morris and Lizzie Siddal to come next week!

A Victorian Movember

 Movember is here - I am enjoying seeing so many moustaches! I like Movember this year; I had not really heard about it last November, but this year it seems to be much more publicised. I am very glad - anything that raises money for charity and awareness for men's health is a good thing. And what better way than getting men to grow a moustache! A grand idea I do think. Here is a short selection of my favorite moustaches from the Victorian era.

Ah! The delights of Victorian advertising!

This rather disgruntled gentleman seems to have let his moustache grow a bit wild... maybe he could have done with some of Carter's Thrixaline.

What has happened to this man's handlebar moustache? - it was going so well, the photographer should have discreetly pointed out the imperfection in his facial hair before taking the photo... or did it droop during a long exposure?

The amazing Dante Gabriel Rossetti sported a fine moustache indeed! What style this man had.

Ah, the legend that is Edgar Allan Poe! His moustache seems to be rather lopsided... I suppose he can be excused by writing such great stories. 

Look at this fine gentleman! It made my day to see this handsome and proud owner of delightful facial hair.

I commend the gentlemen who have decided to grow a moustache for this year's Movember. Well Done to you! If you would like to find out more or maybe donate to this good cause have a look at the website:  http://uk.movember.com/ If you wish to see more fine exaples of Victorian Moustaches then have a look at this delightful and witty blog:  http://mustachesofthenineteenthcentury.blogspot.co.uk/
May you have a happy Movember!

Seaton Delaval Photography

On a recent trip to the glorious Seaton Delaval Hall I, not surprisingly, took some photos. I love Delaval Hall - definitely recommend it to anyone in the area or visiting - it is a beautiful place. There was a rather nice exhibition on of local artwork and projects. A lovely dress caught my eye. For these pictures I increased the contrast, so that the texture of the cloth was more defined. The dress was a beautiful burgundy colour, but I thought that black and white made the fabric look like it was made out of quicksilver.

A Trip To South Shields

Last week I fancied a trip out to somewhere different, so I took the ferry to South Shields. I have not been there for years and I found the ferry trip rather fun and surprisingly cheap - when I was younger I used to think that because you had to take a boat South Shields was an island...
There is a lovely little park with a boating lake full of birds and a miniature steam train running the perimeter. It was a very dull day and rained most of the time (typical British weather!) but I did manage to take some photos on the ferry and some of the birds. For the swans I cropped the pictures and heightened the contrast - I think they look rather like angel wings.

 

First post... London Photography

Hello!
My first blog post - never had a blog before, I am not very good with technology. I have decided to create a blog to have somewhere to put the photos I take on my travels. I am sure it might wander into my interests rather a lot, for I am interested in so many things. So here goes...

London Photography
I traveled down to London recently to see the Tate's Pre-Raphaelite exhibition. It was like my dream come true! Also had a look at some sights - didn't have too long though, only two days and most of it was spent on the bus. Took a few photos.

Visited William Blake's grave - I love Blake. Though I wonder where he is actually buried...

Spooky graves in Bunhill Fields...

There was some beautiful architecture in London. I thought the pictures would look nice in black and white and I heightened the contrast to show the different textures of the buildings.

In the graveyard there were some friendly squirrels - they are not afraid of people so I got some good close up photos!