★ ‘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
Tag Archives: 19th Century
★ Court Presentation Ensemble (1896)
★ 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
★ Decorative Casket with Plaques (c.1815)
★ 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
★ ‘An Interesting Letter’ by Julius LeBlanc Stewart (1890)
★ 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
★ ‘Young Decadent’ by Ramon Casas (1899)
★ 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
★ Czachorski’s ‘Lady in a Lilac Dress’ (1880s)
★ ‘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
★ Woman’s Lace Dress, c.1818
★ 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
★ The Genius of Louis Comfort Tiffany
★ 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
★ French Glass Vases by Brocard, 1877
★ 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
★ Vintage Advert for Whitworth Cycles
★ Isn’t this advert for Whitworth Cycles just great?! Dating from around 1890, it’s by the famous Romanian artist, Jean de Paleologu. With the six pretty girls gazing down admiringly at the dashing young cyclist, it reflects the now-often-forgotten fact that during cycling’s… Continue reading
