The end of an era

What has happened to Liberty of London?

Sweet Peas

The shop that I used to visit
to purchase delectable fabric
and irresistible haberdashery
and enjoy quiet spaces to choose yarn
has been redesigned to make more room
for clothing and candles.

Liberty has become just like any other department store.

Nasturtiums

The redevelopment seems to represent the antithesis of
the values of the Arts and Crafts Movement
which prized the individual work of the artisan
over mass produced goods.

Fruit and Flowers

It is ironic that I was in Liberty to visit
the annual Arts and Crafts exhibition
curated by Patch Rogers of Brighton.

Pinks

I wanted to admire the craftsmanship
in furniture, metalware, pictures and textiles
that Liberty commissioned and sold
at the end of the 19th century.

Crocus and Snowdrops

Among the items on display in the exhibition
were two small woodcuts
by John Hall Thorpe (1874-1947)
who was born in Australia
and started his career as an illustrator for the Sydney Mail
but worked in England from 1902.

It was delightful to discover this artist
but small consolation for the knowledge
that the pleasure of fabric buying in Liberty
has gone for good.

A Fantasy in Blue and White

On the outside Shobdon Church is a little nondescript,
grey and rectangular with a medieval castellated tower.

It is only when you open the door
that you fall in love.

Inside you find a confection of pastel colours
and a riotous assemblage of Gothick fantasy.
It was built by the Bateman family in 1756
in the fashionable Strawberry Hill Gothic style
inspired by Horace Walpole and the 'Committee of Taste'
and care was lavished on every detail.

The technical descriptions hint at the frivolous:
Rococo, ogee pendant arches,
lozenge shaped window panes,
oriental bamboo fretwork,
pineapple mouldings.

The Bateman family sat in the South aisle
on these elegant chairs
warmed by a substantial fireplace.

The servants sat on the other side,
below the pulpit, with no fire,
under the watchful eye of the priest.

The pulpit appears to be suspended in the air
under the extravagant canopy.

Look up the nave to the altar
and admire the barrel vaulting
and fantastical chancel arch.
Look back towards the door
and admire the carved pew ends
and elegant balcony.

What's not to love?


*****

What happens when your camera battery dies...
just before you visit Shobdon Church?
You have to use the camera on your mobile phone.
The photos above are not edited in any way
and are an example of what can be achieved.
The trick is to hold your hand very steady
because the shutter speed is slower.
The main problems are that the colour balance is poor
and composition can be clumsy
especially without a zoom function.
I used to take a lot of photos with my mobile
and so the memory is completely full.
I had to delete five photos to make room for these images
and that made me very careful about the composition.

for Lynn, who has waited impatiently for this post.

The Art of Botany

Do you remember the aubretia
that we found at the bottom of Gold Hill?
It was named after the botanical artist,
Claude Aubriet (1651 - 1742).

Citrullus Colocynthius

He worked in the Jardin des Plantes in Paris
and his paintings attracted the attention of
the influential Professor of Botany,
Joseph Pitton de Tournefort
who employed Aubriet to record the botanical discoveries
of his trip to the Greek Islands and the Levant.

Flower Study

I am trying to imagine
a scientific expedition to Armenia in 1702;
it must have been like stepping back into
the Middle Ages for the cultured Parisians.

Pomegranate

Aubriet was appointed Royal Botanical Painter in 1707
and retired in 1735 but his meticulous detail
infuenced a whole new generation of artists.

Geranium

You can see Aubriet's illustrations
in the RHS Lindley Library.
I shall go and admire them when I have a spare moment

Carnations

Roll on that day.

wood engravings

The Bird's Nest

Sometimes a birthday present is so unexpected
and yet so thoughtfully chosen
that you catch your breath
when you undo the wrapping.

The Farmyard

My father-in-law, Thomas, is a bibliophile
and gave me the tiniest slip of a book
wood engravings by Gwen Raverat
published by R.D. & J.M. Carr
The Quince Tree Press

Children

Gwen Raverat was a granddaughter of Charles Darwin
and later in life published 'Period Piece',
a memoir of her Cambridge childhood,
one of my parents' favourite books.

April

She was an exceptionally talented artist,
specialising in wood engraving,
who trained at the Slade
and then lived in France with her husband
until his early death in 1925.

The Balcony

The exquisite wood engravings featured
include examples from her time in France
and her later book illustrations.

In the Loft

The ones I have selected remind m
of my family home in Cornwall.
There are days when I wish I could be closer.


I had a dove

Sand, Soldiers and the Sphinx

Listen up good people...
this blog is descending into froth and cake crumbs.
I think that an Educational Post is called for.
So...today we are going to talk about

Napoleon in Egypt

I am betting that none of you know anything about it.
So we all get educated
but we also get to look at nice pictures.

Napoleon and the Sphinx - Jean León Gérôme

Napoleon decided to invade Egypt
because he wanted to stop British Imperial expansion.
Which was a mistake.

Napoleon at Alexandria

He evaded the British navy in the Mediterranean,
landed at Alexandria and fought the Mamelukes
at the Battle of the Pyramids in July 1798.

Mameluke - check out that style!

It all started so well
but then Admiral Nelson trapped the French fleet
and defeated it at the Battle of the Nile in August 1798.

Battle of the Nile - Thomas Whitcombe

Which left Napoleon stuck among the sand dunes.

And after various horrible sieges and other small campaigns
Napoleon returned to France in August 1799
leaving an army of 8,000 soldiers behind.

Battle of the Pyramids - Antoine-Jean Gros

1n 1801 the French surrendered to the British and went home.
It had been an expensive foray.

However, Napoleon had a sense of destiny
and had taken a group of scientists, engineers and painters.

Interior of a Weaver's Workshop - Nicolas Jacques Conte

And so we have an extraordinary record of the campaign
And the exotic world that they found.

Watercolour - Baron Dominique Vivant Denon

They removed enormous quantities of Egyptian antiquities
into the streets and museums of Paris
and the artistic influence filtered through
into much of European 18th century life.

Sevres Fruit Bowl, 1804

So now you know.

This post was inspired by a visit to L'Institut du Monde Arabe
Which has impressed my colleagues.
Especially when I tell them that
we had meze for lunch in the Institut restaurant.
Oh yes!

Jennie Harbour, Illustrator

It is so easy to get distracted...
to start with good intentions
and then wander off down
the small lanes of the Internet.

I hope that this weakness is not unique to me.

The Queen And Her Magic Mirror

You would have to have a heart of stone
not to be distracted by
the illustrations of Jennie Harbour.

So what can Mr Google tell us about her?

Snow White and the Seven Dwarves

She published briefly in the 1920s
and provided illustrations for Raphael Tuck,
a renowned printer of illustrated postcards.

The Lady And Her White Fawn Are Surprised By A Strange Apparition

That is all...
no dates,
no picture,
no leads to later work.

Zelie And The Fairy Candide

Look at the composition,
the vibrant colour and Art Deco patterns,
the energy and emotion of the paintings.

Cinderella Runs Away From The Ball.

Imagine such talent
vanishing without trace.

Little Red Riding Hood

Her postcards and illustrated books
are valuable collectors items these days.

Bluebeard Alarms The Sisters

Did she die young?
Did she give up painting?
I would love to know.

Hansel and Gretel

Renaissance Faces

MissM and MrsM have a cultural day out
and visit the Renaissance Faces exhibition
at the National Gallery.
It is inspirational
and there is so much that could be said:

about the development of portraiture;

Margaret, the Artist’s Wife ~ Jan van Eyck

the representation of status;

Marsilio Cassotti and his Wife Faustina ~ Lorenzo Lotto

the role of women.

Portrait of a Woman, 'La Bella' ~ Palma Vecchio

but MrsM finds herself distracted...

She knows that she should be enthralled
by the delicacy of the Hilliard miniature

Young Man among Roses ~ Nicholas Hilliard

or the fabulous ornament of costume

Portrait of a Lady ~ Alesso Baldovinetti

or even the complicated symbolism of the Holbein.

The Ambassadors ~ Hans Holbein the Younger

But NO...

MrsM is wondering what this lady is going to knit:

Portrait of a Lady with Spindle and Distaff ~ Maerten van Heemskerck

stripey socks to wear under her dress?
a cosy throw for her oak settle?
some adorable toys for Christmas?

Love's Labour's Lost

MrM has booked theatre tickets for tonight:
Love's Labour's Lost
at the Rose Theatre, Kingston.

It is a special half term treat for MissM
and he is very pleased with himself
because the reviews are excellent.

He shows us the tickets

MissM
Oh! What a shame!

MrM
What do you mean?

MissM
It is the special production tonight
and so it won't be quite as useful
for my A Level synoptic coursework

MrM
What do you mean?

MissM
It has been specially themed
for tonight with a sponsored ending.

MrM
What do you mean?

MissM
It is the gothic version

Instead of living happily ever after
they all die

And the audience gets to choose
who dies first.

MrM looks aghast

MissM
They are planning to sell
those big foamy hands in the foyer
so that we can all vote with our thumbs
like they used to in the Coliseum.

MrM
You are pulling my leg...
Right?

It would appear that MrM
has underestimated how quickly
MissM can recover from jet lag..

Christiana Herringham 1852 - 1929

On Friday afternoon I had an unexpected email
asking if I had a painting by Lady Herringham in my office.
I didn't but I was intrigued and flicked onto Google
to find out more about her.

I discovered a woman of astonishing energy,
social ideals and artistic vision.

Christiana Herringham and the Edwardian Art Scene - Mary Lago

She was the daughter of Thomas Wilde Powell,
a wealthy patron of the Arts and Crafts movement.
In 1880 Christiana married the physician, Wilmot Herringham
and they had two sons but from 1889 at the age of 37
she became a well known and admired public figure.
The early influences of art and social justice
that were central to the Arts and Crafts movement
seem to have directed much of her public adult life.

Suffrage March

She was committed to Suffrage movement from 1889 onwards
and there are descriptions of her
embroidering velvet banners for Suffrage marches
using silk that she had brought back from India.
She was a friend of artist suffragettes
such as Annie Swynnerton who painted her sons.

Higher education for women was at a very early stage
and Christiana was a generous benefactor
of the new college in Cambridge, Newnham,
and a friend of one of the first female academics, Mary Bateson.
Her husband became a Governor of Bedford College,
the first college for women in London.

Laboratory, Bedford College

She was a talented artist and copyist of Old Masters.
Her 1899 translation of an Italian study
of the challenging technique of tempera
(which uses egg to fix paint pigments)
was very influential and led to the foundation of
the Society of Painters in Tempera in 1901.
Many artists of the time experimented with tempera
and the Society encouraged painters relearning the technique.

Madonna and Child Marianne Stokes (1907)

The late Victorian period was notable for grand schemes
to benefit the general public such as libraries and museums.
Christiana was the only woman on the committee
which created the National Art Collection Fund in 1903
with the objective of making art available to all.
Despite protests from supporters of Impressionism
the first purchase was the Rokeby Venus by Velasquez.
It seems a courageous choice for a woman of her time.

Venus at her Toilet (Rokeby Venus) Velasquez

Another of her initiatives was the foundation of the India Society
which was intended to encourage an apprecation of Indian art.
In 1906 and 1911 she travelled to India
and as part of her work for the India Society
she copied the Buddhist cave paintings at Ajanta near Hyderbad
which were showing signs of deterioration.
A number of Indian painters of the time such as Nandalal Bose
were influenced by her and she may have been the inspiration
for Mrs Moore in A Passage to India by E.M. Forster.

Ajanta Frescoes Lady Herringham

When she returned from India in 1911 at the age of 59
she began to suffer from paranoia
and spent the rest of her life in private clinics.

One of her sons died from acute arthritis as a child
and the other died in the First World War.

She was a very modern woman;
the causes that she supported
were ones that we value highly today.
It is a tragedy that she is now completely forgotten...
we owe much to women like Christiana Herringham.