Mariana by John Everett Millais, Private Collection.
Mariana is the main character in a poem by Tennyson that deals with a woman “trapped” in her life. She is surrounded in a perfect Victorian setting by the dictates of the Arts & Crafts movement. The movement was a reaction to the increased industrialization of the world and sought to emulate a time when everything was created by hand.
Pity, c. 1795 by William Blake.
From Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Act I, Scene VII when Macbeth what would happen after Duncan is murdered “And pity, like a naked new-born babe, Striding the blast, or heaven’s cherubim, horsed Upon the sightless couriers of the air.”
Blake’s unique style developed from his training as an illustrator and his unbounded imagination.
The Mock Turtle’s Story, 1907 illustrations by Arthur Rackham for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
…They had not gone far before they saw the Mock Turtle in the distance, sitting sad and lonely on a little ledge of rock, and, as they came nearer, Alice could hear him sighing as if his heart would break. She pitied him deeply. “What is his sorrow?” she asked the Gryphon, and the Gryphon answered, “very nearly in the same words as before, It’s all his fancy, that: he hasn’t got no sorrow, you know. Come on!”….
An Experiment on a Bird in the Airpump, 1768 by Joseph Wright of Derby.
Wright of Derby studied under Sir Joshua Reynolds however his work is more experimental as he was fascinated with light and painting the effects of light and darkness. This work even features the moonlight so it is a combination of artificial and natural light.
Lady of Shalott, c. 1872 – 3 by Arthur Hughes.
A favorite subject of Victorian painters and based on a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson, there are many versions of the Lady.
Medusa or Gorgon, 1st Century A.D., From the Temple of Sulis Minerva at the Roman Bath in Bath, England.
This representation of the Gorgon Medusa was part of the pediment decoration from the Temple of Sulis Minerva at Bath. Sulis Minerva was a goddess of healing and the sulfur infused waters found at Bath were thought to have healing powers. Usually Medusa is depicted as a woman and this representation looks more like a man which makes it seem that it may be a mistaken attribution and that this representation might actually be of a river god from local folklore.
Tea Party, c. 1880 by Kate Greenaway.
Kate Greenaway was one of the most popular children’s book illustrators of the 19th century. Her idealized children were just what her Victorian audience wanted.
A Bigger Splash, 1967 by David Hockney, Tate Gallery, London.
Hockney was interested in capturing a splash of water that only lasts for mere seconds and depicting it on canvas. Throughout his career he has done series on the same subjects.
Knucklebones, c. 1830 -1896 by Frederic, Lord Leighton, Private Collection.
Playing an ancient Greek game called Astragoli, the model looks like she is sleeping rather than playing a game. Leighton’s models were often seen lounging in diaphanous gowns.
Red Hous, 1859 owned by William Morris, architect Philip Webb. Decorated by Morris & Co., National Trust, Bexleyheath, England.
A departure from the traditional Victorian style because it was open and full of light. Morris reaction to the industrial movement motivated him to hire artists and craftspersons to decorate the home and lead to the beginning of the arts and crafts movement.Interiors
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