Merry Christmas

Henry Raeburn, The Skating Minister, c 1790s

Wishing you all a safe, happy, and most importantly, relaxing Christmas! Thank you to all readers and the blogger community for all the joy you've spread to ME over the past year; I am incredibly thankful for all of you. Now pop that champagne and bring out the presents!

The Witching Hour

For the last few months my personal research has consisted of witches, witches, and more witches.  Now it is Halloween and what better way to celebrate than to display the 18th century's view of witches in art.  Gone were the days of witch hunt hysteria and come were the days of the theatrical witch.  Goya and Fuseli are perhaps the most famous for their witches but there were a handful more artists who experimented with the theme.

Francisco Goya, Witches in the Air, 1797-98

Francisco Goya, The Witches Sabbath, 1797-98

Henry Fuseli, The Witch and the Mandrake, 1812

Henry Fuseli, Macbeth Consulting the Vision of the Armed Head 1793-1794

John Runciman, The Three Witches, 1767-68

Francesco Zuccarelli, Macbeth Banquo and the Witches, circa 1760s

John Martin, Macbeth, 1820

James Gillray, A Phantasmagoria, 1803

Henry Fuseli, The Three Witches, 1783

Daniel Gardner, The Three Witches from Macbeth, 1775

Francisco Goya, Linda Maestra, 1798

Francisco Goya, The Witches Sabbath, 1823

Happy Cinqo de Mayo

Happy Cinqo de Mayo to all Mexican gossipers! What better way to celebrate than with an 18th century Mexican artist, Miguel Cabrera.

Miguel Cabrera, Spaniard and Indian Woman, 1763

Miguel Cabrera, Mexican Family, 1763

Miguel Cabrera, Spaniard and Octoroon Woman, 1763

Miguel Cabrera, Spaniard and Mulatto Morisca, 1763

Miguel Cabrera, Spaniard and Black, Mulatto, 1763

Happy Easter!

Henry Raeburn, Boy and Rabbit, 1814

The Colonies Celebrate St Patrick's Day

Happy St Patrick's Day!

For many of you this holiday means celebrating your heritage, for others it is a good excuse for a drinking.  Many traditions go with St Patrick's Day, strangely enough many of those traditions were born in America rather than the country so celebrated on the holiday.  While visiting Ireland I recall telling my (now) ex's mother about how you had to wear green or you would be pinched.  She thought that was just adorable!  A year beforehand I had made it to my Irish Mecca: Dublin on St Patrick's Day where Lauren and I celebrated another tradition, attending the parade.  We couldn't get over how most of the participants weren't Irish, but American!

The truth is Americans have a strong tradition of being big fans (perhaps even the biggest) of St Patrick's Day.  This tradition predates the United States itself.  The first St Patrick's Day parade was held in New York City in 1762.  Irish soldiers serving King and Country marched through the city to the sounds of traditional Irish music.

So this St Patrick's Day make sure you keep the tradition going strong, especially if it involves toasting with authentic 18th century beer and spirits!

Masks of the Masquerade

Happy Mardi Gras! If you are in Venice right now you are finishing up Carnival which is hopefully as debaucherous as it was in the 18th century.  When I think of the Venetian Carnival the artist Pietro Longhi comes to mind.  Longhi was known for painting everyday scenes of Venetian life in the early 18th century, many of his paintings depict Venetians in their carnival masks.

 

Now the fact that many of Longhi's paintings portray people in masks does not mean the artist had an unhealthy obsession with Mardi Gras. Visitors to Venice found masks to be commonplace accessories for native Venetians, which distinguished them from the harangue of tourists.Venetians wore them for the same reason you might make yourself "invisible" on instant messaging.  It was hard to get to point A to point B without running in to people you know so in order to politely avoid conversation for the sake of punctuality Venetians would wear masks.  That was their way of setting their little availability dot to "invisible."  Sometimes citizens were legally obligated to don their masks during critical political decision-making times.  That way street gossip could be curtailed and consequently wouldn't effect the political decision.

The standard-issue mask, promoted by the Ventian government was the bauta which disguised the wearer but still allowed them to speak and eat freely.  It is the white bautas that you commonly see in Longhi's paintings.  Another breed of mask you can see in the Longhi paintings is the morretta, an oval black velvet mask popular with the ladies.  Not pictured by Longhi is the volto, a mask commonly associated with the Venetian Carnival.  Voltos are white masks that cover the entire face.

So which mask will you be wearing today?

Cheers!

Mes cher beaux et belles,

I will be out of the salon celebrating the festivities that come with the end of the year but before I go I must wish you all a Happy New Year!  I hope you all will be up to no good causing a scandal and gossiping behind masks all while the champagne flows.  Thank you for taking a little time out of your lives to stop by and leave your much-enjoyed and appreciated comments.  Cheers to you, darlings; here's to more gossip and wit in 2011! 

Now go out and celebrate!

Turkey Change of Scenery

I hope everyone stateside enjoyed their Thanksgiving dinner and all the leftovers that come with it.  Perhaps you heard that there was a slight change in the holiday this year?  Every year the president pardons some lucky turkeys from appearing on his dinner plate.  For the last few years the turkeys were not only pardoned but got to enjoy their new found freedom in Disneyland.  This year the free trips to Disney are no more and the turkeys will have a more appropriate retirement.

Apple, this year's pardoned turkey, made his new home at George Washington's home, Mount Vernon a few days ago.  Why Washington's former retreat?  Well, Washington did raise turkeys and the historic home still does, although Apple won't be on display since he isn't historically accurate.  Perhaps the most important reason for the change of turkey residencies was that it was George Washington who made Thanksgiving a national holiday so it seems quite appropriate to give a nod to the first president.

This Christmas a camel will be joining Apple at Mount Vernon.  No, he wasn't pardoned.  This camel gets to join the growing zoo at Mount Vernon because Washington once wowed his Christmas guests with a camel.  No wonder everyone is blowing off Disneyland for Mount Vernon, that Washington knows how to entertain!

Christmas Card Shopping for the 18th Century Enthusiast

I know we haven't reached the safe point for talking about Christmas yet, but it is still around the time when we start looking for those holiday cards we soon have to begin sending out.  I've been searching for some good 18th century-esque cards and I thought I'd share my findings with you. 

Zazzle has Allegory of December and Joyeux Noel cards for both colonial or French court fans
I've written about the wonderful Elizabeth Ocean before and she has released Christmas cards this year! Gingerbread and Candy canes.
I think this card is a bit over-priced but it's too gorgeous to not put up
Victorian and Albert Museum has this lovely winter silhouette scene card
Simple and elegant Damask cards
Colonial Williamsburg folk Christmas cards
CreationsbyTee has affordable and pretty Marie Antoinette Christmas cards

Have you seen any other good ones? If so let me know because I still haven't picked out my cards yet!

The Spirit of Spring

How festive! Etsy makes it possible to find rococo goodies for just about any holiday. I found this fun Marie Antoinette Easter gift tag from Wendy Paula Patterson on her shop, Mulberry Muse. I can't imagine giving away a Giclee gift tag on any old Easter gift though! You could frame this up in a shadow box frame for a perfect Easter decoration that displays your fabulous taste in the best of centuries. Check out Wendy's other fabulous creations here.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Robert Dighton, Geography Bewitched or, a Droll Caricature Map of Ireland, 1793

I hope you have your green on! Last year we celebrated with some Irish tarts. This year I thought we'd take a quick look into the 18th century view of Ireland via satirical prints. That way, you can be the judge.

James Gillray, Portrait of an Irish chief; drawn from Life at Wexford, 1798

James Gillray, Irish Gratitude, 1782

James Gillray, United Irishmen in Training, 1798

James Gillray, Horrors of an Irish Union, 1798

Resolutions

I normally don't like making resolutions for the new year because they are just made to be broken. But this year I will give it a try. My resolutions for 2010 are:

Only gossip behind the shield of a fan (and blog).

Stop teasing the rakes.

Do you think I will be able to uphold them? I know I can manage at least one...

So what are your New Year resolutions?

Happy New Year!

One more year further away from the eighteenth century, alas! But it has still been a good one. Here's to another great year of gossiping. Happy 2010! Do stop by Marie Antoinette's Gossip Guide and be sure to wish her a happy birthday!

Your New Year's Ball

New Year's Eve is right around the corner! Have you planned your party yet? I'd like to think that a great model for a party would be this scene from Marie Antoinette.If you're not whirling around in a grand fashion, making out with complete strangers, you may as well stayed home and watched the ball drop. I know it's setting the bar high, but we are lovers of the eighteenth century, and I wouldn't expect anything less from you!

I found a bunch of appropriate and cheap decor via Oriental Trading (just pretend it's from the real silk trail). Dress all the cheap-y decorations up with candles, plumes, glitter, fake pearls, and any other eighteenth century things you have lying around the house. Don't be afraid to leave a pearl necklace in the middle of the table, "oh! did I leave this there, where is my head!" Remember: Spangles, spangles, spangles!

18th Century New Years by GeorgianaGossip on Polyvore.com

Not that you need any incentive, but drinking games are a classic part of a party. I suggest making them up as you go along, or creating one out of my favourite French Revolution game, Guillotine. You could even have penalties, such as making the ladies show their legs! Think of the scandal that would cause! If that's not your thing, set up a whilst or faro table in a separate room for some varied entertainment for your guests.

Make sure the champagne is flowing. Buy some cheap pink champagne and throw it in a punch bowl with frozen strawberries and you now have the perfect punch. Just make sure you have a designated chaise driver, the Watch will be out on the roadways looking for straggling ball-goers!

Is anyone here planning an 18th century themed party? If not, is anyone planning on having an 18th century-esque good time?

Merry Christmas!

Louis Nicolas van Blarenberghe, Detail from The Four Seasons, 1740

Wishing everyone a festive and happy Christmas. Thank you for all your much-loved gossiping and support over the past year! Have a safe, yet festive, holiday!

Your Guide to an 18th Century Christmas

So you want to do things right and have an 18th century Christmas this year? Well, cross off that Wii game and replace it with "fashionable walking stick" because the Georgians really knew how to have some festive fun!

Decorations
Blech, it sure is gross outside with all the nasty weather and dead plants. To bring some life inside, find whatever green plants you can and string them up wherever necessary; ideally over doors and windows. Colonial Williamsburg always does a wonderful job of this. If you stick springs of holly and bay in the crack between the window and the sill, your house will look very festive and alive from the cold streets outside. Gather all your vases and containers and place your greenery in that as well. Most importantly, don't forget to string up the mistletoe. I like to put it up conspicuously near my gaming tables and in the corners of my dressing room. Remember, never hang mistletoe in a pantry, closet or some other area where you might uncomfortably run into your disappeared friends during the whilst game.

Food and Beverage
Be sure to stock up on those merry drinks. How else would you expect your guests to stay warm? Check with your housekeeper to see if you have enough wines, brandy, and rum punches stocked up to survive the twelve days of celebration. Hmm, perhaps we should also stock up on chamber pots. You'll also be eating more hot meats than usual since guests are over so be sure the cook is prepared. Also don't forget to have at least one show stopper, so that guests will be talking about "that delicious swan" or "that impressive croquembouche" for Christmases to come.

Get out those Christmas Cards
Christmas cards appeared in the 18th century, but they were called Christmas Pieces. It was a time of letters to begin with so Christmas pieces was just another opportunity to spread the news. These pieces tended to have printed festive borders. So before you can worry about your holiday house plans, make sure you send your man to the post office with your greetings.

Let the Fun Begin!
Traditionally you should be celebrating for twelve days straight, ending on 6 January, Epiphany. Make merry with many games, feasts, and, of course, drinks. A fox hunt (Top Gear had one recently that was more my style) should be in store so lay out your best riding habit. Also, balls should take up most of the nights with the grandest one happening on Twelfth Night. Now the only question that remains is can you handle all this festive cheer?