After reviewing Russian Lacquer art, Victorian art seems like child’s play. When the Pilgrims made their trip to America and cut off ties with their European forefathers, they also cut themselves off from the depth of culture and training that had inspired previous generations. Except for memories, many of them had no books or paintings until later immigrants brought them.
There is an innocence about
their first efforts at duplicating what they saw; although, drawings from the
Lewis and Clark expeditions are fairly detailed and accurate.
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| Children's books were not only written to entertain, but to teach values and principles. |
During the Victorian era, the
drawings appear playful and somewhat unskilled. Many scenes are detailed, but
the characters seem misshapen or top heavy. Perhaps this was part of their naivety
and charm.
At a garage sale a few years
back, I purchased an old book titled: “Little Wide Awake, an anthology of
Victorian Children’s Books and Periodicals,” by Leonard De Vries. Printed in
1967, the description states: "an authentic and fascinating panorama of the
world of the children of a bygone era.”
“Little Wide-Awake” was one of
the most popular children’s periodicals of the 19th century. It
reveals shocking details of life in the Victorian world. The stories contain
surprising grimness and more stark realism than many of the children’s stories of today.
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| These black silhouette drawings were a favorite! |
In contrast, there is also a cloying
sweetness in many stories and poems that many may find “sappy” and
sentimental. To quote from the cover: “The
religious ideas of the period are expressed in selections from publications of
the Religious Tract Society. Also included are fine examples of books of
instruction, alphabets, and forerunners of the comic strips.”
Nevertheless, there is humor
and lightness in rhyme, as well as superb examples of poetry and “early art
nouveau illustrations.”
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| Young women were taught to mend. Imagine having to darn socks, but it was economical. |
The author, Leonard De Vries
would be worth one blog on his own. While studying physics and chemistry in
Amsterdam, his education was brought to an end when the Nazis overran Holland. De
Vries was born in 1919 in Semarang, Indonesia, and considered life a voyage; a
discovery full of adventures and surprises. This attitude helped him get
through the war and inspired him to write children’s books.
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| I loved the composition of this drawing. |
In 1957, when looking in the
attic of a children’s library in Amsterdam for pre-war juvenile books on
science experiments, Leonard found some 18th century children’s
books. These were the basis for this anthology and for many of the over two dozen
children’s books that he wrote.
His experiences during the Nazi
persecution, and a stay in Israel in 1953 helped him write “The Land is Bright.”
In 1960, De Vries made a trip around the world, wandering many months through
Thailand and Ceylon, to write a book about the inspiring work of UNICEF.
Whether you like Victorian art or not, the appealing characters and stories of
the period give us a glimpse into the past.
The last painting below is my favorite in the book for its overlapping elements.
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