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Anonymous, An Emblem of a Modern Marriage, 1775

Come to the Ball

It is truly interesting what fabulous treasures from the past are left behind.  The British Museum houses many of these forgotten treasures that could have been so easily thrown away in their time. 

When viewing the print above from the screen of a computer, it looks like it could have been any sort of print to be displayed in the home or business of a person willing to spend a few shillings.  However this one is a bit more special.  This print was actually a calling card of Harriet, Lady Bessborough.  One the reverse is an invitation to a ball she was holding.  Whoever she invited must have appreciated the gesture enough to save the invitation many years afterward!

Industry and Idleness

One of Hogarth's famous print series is Industry and Idleness which was a common theme for many prints of the time.  Hogarth's multiple prints followed the many exploits and good deeds of two young men but in the series by the same name put out by lesser artists it was more common to have pretty young ladies symbolizing the foils.  Not only were women more marketable in the print industry, their good or bad deeds tend to have greater repercussions than those of men.

In George Morland's series we have Industry busily tatting away on long lace trimmings.  If you noticed her outfit to be a bit off, you are quite right.  A hat and coat is unusual attire to attend womanly duties but Industry is ever-ready to go out of the house to attend to some other task or errand.  Idleness on the other hand, has plenty of time to engage the viewer with coy eye contact.  Her sewing pouch lies in disarray at her feet, obviously not in use.  Even Idleness' dog can't be bothered to do much.  At the time, idle women tended to be associated with lascivious women.  By the look on Idleness' face and the way she draws the viewer's eye to between her legs by placing her right hand there; we are left to assume she is not just an idle woman but a woman with little morals.

Francis Wheatley's version of the same theme displays Industry and Idleness in the lower classes.  Industry busily works mending a piece of clothing, so busy she can't be bothered by the suave young man attempting to get her attention.  Despite the dog allowing itself to be distracted by the man, Idleness can't be bothered by his presence.  Wheatley's Idleness is interesting in that she is actually doing something (feeding the kitten) but is distracted from her work by what we can assume is the same young man, based on the unfortunate hat he wears in both prints.  Wheatley's definition of the foils derives chiefly from their ability to avoid horny young men, otherwise Idleness might be successful in her to-do list.  Perhaps his series would be more aptly named Easy and Mission Impossible.

Frontispiece Gothica

Gothic novels were the horror movies of the long eighteenth century.  They were craze comparable to that of Twilight series; there were many fans and just as many people turning their nose up at the genre.  Audiences loved the adrenaline rush of fear and forbidden romance, and to capture more bookshop browsers it was good to have a good frontispiece to pique the potential reader's curiosity.  What better way to get in the Halloween spirit than explore some gothic novel frontispieces:


Vathek by William Thomas Beckford

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The Children of the Abbey by Regina Maria Roche

Tales of Terror by Matthew Gregory Lewis

The Castle Spectre by Matthew G Lewis

Caleb Williams by William Godwin

Happy Halloween!

Adam Buck and his Sideline Art

The print market was a hugely successful market in England in the the 18th century. It supplied rich and poor alike with artwork for their residences and places of business. Mezzotint prints would be made of the most popular portraits of the time. Satirical Images by the likes of Gillray and Rowlandson would be sold alongside them in the print shop windows, and were also eagerly scooped up by consumers. Satirical images tended to have a raunchier side, and frequently displayed titillating imagery to mix with humor.

Adam Buck was a miniaturist who felt especially home when the Classical came in style during the last few years of the 1700s. We can thank him for this portrait of the tart, Mary Anne Clarke. We can also thank Mr. Buck for what some now consider to be "pin-ups." Buck published some prints which border between the formal reproductions of fine art portraits and satirical images. Take the lovely print, Archers for example. Upon initial analysis we see ladies in the latest fashion practicing a sport en vogue for women of the time. However this print would be considered somewhat inappropriate to display in a formal setting among ladies of respect. Ladies of the time would have their hair pulled back or hidden under some form of bonnet, therefore the display of these ladies' free-flowing hair was rendered with the purpose of titillation. Also, the archer's positioning, being so liberal, could be considered quite exciting, as well as the closeness of the two women; lesbian pornography was not foreign to the 18th century. If you are still not convinced of Buck's intentions with the Archers, there is always his print, Sophia Western which is a little more forward with its intentions. Psst, Sophia your umm is uh... you need to adjust your top.

A Harlot's Progress: Plate 1

Since Hogarth has already educated us on the dangers of a fashionable marriage, it is time for us to, once again, seek his insight on other issues of the age. I had a hard time deciding which series to do next: A Rake's Progress, or A Harlot's Progress. Then, my dear friend Carolyn told me, "Ladies first!" and I realized she was absolutely right! So take heed, my impressionable young lady-gossips, here is a story to think of when trouble may lead you astray.

Here we have the mild-mannered Moll Hackabout, who is beginning the first day of the rest of her life. She has moved out of her parents' home and is looking to make her start in the big city; in this case: Cheapside. She is dropped off by the wagon full of other young ladies trying to make an honest pound in London. First impressions tell us that Moll is young, pretty, neatly dressed, and looking for a job as a seamstress (as judged by the scissors and pincushion on her arm). But is this overdressed woman in this backstreet really a seamstress? And if she is a seamstress, why is she poking a proding young Moll as if she were a piece of meat? Indeed, this woman is actually a procuress, "Mother" Needham who was such a legandary "abbess" that when she was later sentenced to stand in a pillory, the crowds were so large that a boy was crushed to death. Rumour has it, Mother Needham was too. Another famous deviant stands behind the two women. This is the rake and rapist, Francis Charteris. Hogarth had no sympathy for characters like him. He comes out of, what we can assume to be, a brothel; either a satisfied customer or a partner in Mother Needham's dark business deal. Charteris also appears to be, ahem, excited about the prospective new employee.

While poor Moll's downfall seems to be unfolding before everyone's eyes in these dank streets, a priest passes on his horse. He is too interested in finding his way than saving the girl's innocence. To further insist on his blatant disregard for Moll, his horse is shown to knock down a teetering stack of pots. This is a reference that the French artist, Greuze would commonly use to show loss of innocence or virginity among young girls. There is no doubt that is Hogarth's intention too. Another important Hogarthian symbol (that we should always be keeping an eye out for) is the dead goose in the corner. This hints to Moll's gullibility. Poor Moll, she has no idea what she is about to get into.

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