Victorian Paintings

For some extra research into victorian hair makeup and beauty ideals I have started looking at books about Victorian Painting to see how women were represented throughout art in the victorian era. I will be looking through the pictures that inspire me.

The Opra Box

This is a painting by Henry Nelson O'Neil 'The Opra Box' it presents a single figure of a beautiful girl in fashionable clothes. I have chosen this picture because of the early victorian modest hairstyle. This image was painted as a keepsake or a Book of Beauty, this was the product of early victorian society, this celebrated feminine beauty and were often titled 'English Pearls or Portraits of the Boudoir.' A common feature of these books were languid luxurious women with full figures dressed in historic or foreign costume. The main emotional themes are of virginial, romantic abandoned love.

Left - The Young Mother Right - The Soldier's Farewell.

 I couldn't find much information on these two pictures other than the left one (The Young Mother) was painted by Charles West Cope and it was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1846, and the one on the right ( A Soldier's Farewell) was painted by John Callcott Horsley and was an example of one of his less ambitious works, this image was seen as a contemporary scene and showed an admirer summarised by the characteristics 'sunshine and pretty women'. I have chosen these 2 images again because of the hair, the image on the left you get an unique view of what the back of victorian hair looks like which you can not usually get in standard portraiture. I also really like the reference to love and longing in the portraits and this would tie in really well with my character Carmilla.

The Bower Meadow

This image is of The Bower Meadow and was painted by Dante Gabriel Rosetti and was painted in 1850's. This image was created at the time of The Pre-Raphalites and they made a decisive rebellious change to the direction of British photography. They were rebelling agains the Keepsakes and books of beauty that I have shown in the two previous pictures. There was an interest in the medieval and perverse ill posed bodies. Rosetti was one of the most attractive and gifted of this brotherhood it is possible to see a sense of wasted genius, as you can see in this image it is much like the keepsakes but the women were more fleshy and more overtly sensual.

The thing I enjoy about this painting is the whimsical looks on the women's faces, I also see the loose hair as quite rebellious. The women are also pictured dancing and in loose clothing which I would also imagine was quite rebellious at the time.

Hylas and The Nymphs

For some inspiration for my character Carmilla this image was one of a few that really inspired me for my project. This image (seen bottom of the picture) was painted by John William Waterhouse and is called Hylas and the Nymphs. The painting illustrates the Odyssey where Hylas goes to draw fresh water from a lake and is carried away by the nymphs that have fallen in love with his beauty.

This reminds me of how Carmilla has fallen for Laura in the novel, and becomes obsessed with her. I do believe that this a more playful depiction. I like the long flowing hair that is seen tied in a slight not at the back of the head. It is avery seductive image and they are seen grabbing and caressing Hyla's arm.

Flaming June and Beads.

These following pictures also sparked my interest, the first one is by Lord Leighton and us called Flaming June and the bottom right image is by Albert Joseph Moore and is named Beads.

These images really link to the victorian ideal of women being 'fainting beauties' or in the case i am looking as being languid, as Carmilla was described as being 'languid-very languid-indeed, with no sign of being an ivalid.'

Water Babies and Psyche in the Temple of Love

These two images are Water babies and Psyche in the Temple of Love, these were painted in around 1900's so can still be classes as victorian, as you can see in the images the hair is completely different to how it looked at the start of this image as after this we are slowly moving into the Georgian era.

 This is the final image that I saw in the book was by William Frederick Yeames and was called Amy Robsary is is about the murder of Amy Robsary. Ithinkthis painting would be good to link the all the 'mysterious deaths' that were happening in the novel, as Carmilla was feeding on young girls in the night.

The girl in this picture is shown in what looks like her nightdress, and she is in a really dark hallway, this makes me think of the gothic castle that Laura lives in.

Reynolds G (1987). Victorian Painting. London: Guild Publising. p 11 - 179.