★ A fantastic and very seasonal Victorian illustration of autumn vegetables, perfect for harvest festival, garden or even Thanksgiving-themed craft projects. Dating from 1898, it’s free to use however you’d like. Just click to open the full-size image in your browser, right click… Continue reading
★ ‘Portrait of Madame la Comtesse de Cambacérès’ by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1895). Currently in the collections of the Seattle Art Museum, this lovely painting depicts Louise de Rohan Chabot, who was born in Paris in… Continue reading
★ Utterly exquisite court ensemble worn by Emily Warren Roebling for her formal presentation to Queen Victoria in 1896. The wife of Brooklyn Bridge engineer, Washington Augustus Roebling, Emily played a significant role in the building of the bridge by taking over day-to-day… Continue reading
★ A decorative casket with porcelain plaques, made in England by the Derby Porcelain Works (c.1815). Currently in the collections of LACMA, it’s crafted from rosewood and adorned with opulent gilt bronze decorative mouldings (also known as ‘ormolu’), with hand-painted… Continue reading
★ Paintings frequently portray great events and grand people, but ‘An Interesting Letter’ by American artist Julius LeBlanc Stewart (1890) shows a scene far more familiar to most people. I have a bit of a passion for paintings that… Continue reading
★ I’m both under the weather and horribly busy at the moment, so I rather envy the languor of this ‘Young Decadent (After the Ball)’ by Catalan Spanish artist, Ramon Casas (1899). Such a gorgeous painting. While I love the intense contrast between her dark, sombre black… Continue reading
★ ‘A Lady in a Lilac Dress with Flowers’ by Wladyslaw Czachórski (1880-90). I am absolutely in love with this painting – everything from the play of light upon the pale lilac satin of her dress (with it’s fabulous ruffled sleeves), to the intricate details of her surroundings, I think the entire… Continue reading
★ Spring is now officially here, and to celebrate the fact that warmer weather is on the way, I thought I’d share this delightfully sunny dress. Currently in the collections of LACMA, this beautiful yellow linen and lace dress is a wonderful example of Regency fashion. Made… Continue reading
★ American artist and designer, Louis Comfort Tiffany, was born on this day 169 years ago. In honour of the occasion, I thought it would be nice to have a look back at his life and career, his influences, and just a few pieces of his utterly beautiful stained glass work. The man himself… Continue reading
★ An exquisite pair of enameled and gilded glass vases, made in France by Philippe-Joseph Brocard (1877). Aren’t they lovely? Heavily inspired by Middle Eastern designs, they reflect the wider 19th century fashion for ‘Orientalism’ which influenced much of Europe’s decorative… Continue reading
