Friday 20th December - The End of the Story

Now look, we've reached the 20th, that means Catvent is almost over! This has actually been less stressful than normal blogvents and thank you to everyone who has sent messages and left comments, they are all truly appreciated.  Onwards with today's offering!

Well, that's one way of looking at it.

Today's picture is by an artist that I like but don't talk about very much...

The End of the Story (1900) Marcus Stone

I obviously went for Marcus Stone's 1900 painting The End of the Story because the cat looks like Chairman Meow.  A bit like Blair Leighton, I really like the fact that Marcus Stone found his groove and never looked back, and his thing was frilly dressed ladies thinking about love. The Queen newspaper reported its exhibition like this - '"The End of the Story" by Marcus Stone is one of those sweet studies of a young lady seated in a garden with her just finished romance in her hand, with which this artist has familiarised us.' Now, by 'familiarised us' is The Queen saying that Mr Stone is a bit repetitious?

Two's Company, Three's None (1862-90)

Well, yes, there's that one...

In Love (1888)

..and that one, yes...

Welcome Footsteps (1898)

Okay, yes, he was very good at white frocks in gardens, but then he also did this one...

On the Road from Waterloo to Paris (1863)

On the whole, he was better at white frocks in gardens. I think my favourite has to be this one....

Reverie (1899)

I think it is something about the combination of her expression and the weird summer sun/moon in the sky behind her that makes it a magical piece.  When it was exhibited at the Royal Academy, Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper described it as 'a graceful presentment of a young lady' but I find the piece, especially the face, quite haunting.  Back to the cat...

That is a lovely cat and he is perfectly happy with tickles even if she isn't paying attention.  The girl is on the last page of her book.  I wonder why the newspaper assumed it was a romance? Is that a safe bet as his paintings were mostly to do with romantic interludes? We think she's reading 'And reader, I married him!' and actually she's reading 'I dismembered him so well, they were finding bits for weeks.' Either way, her cat loves her.

Marcus Stone, who grew a moustache and never looked back

Marcus Stone is an interesting chap - son of Frank Stone, also a famous painter, he was trained as an artist by his father until he started exhibiting at the Royal Academy aged 18, which is extremely impressive. Sadly, Frank Stone then dropped dead a year later, prompting many tributes and obituaries in the newspapers.  I must add that when Marcus Stone died in 1921, he also got glowing tributes including a very impressive one that stated he never missed an RA exhibition, was never rejected and each painting he sent was already sold before it hit the wall.

I find the scenery in today's painting interesting.  Yes, she's in a garden (as they always are), but if you look at the trees, it looks like summer.  However, around her, the leaves have fallen and are filling the courtyard.  Has so much time passed since she opened the book? Was it that gripping a tale that she missed the seasons changing, so entranced with the story? What I notice from a lot of Stone's women is that they are preoccupied.  I would hazard a guess that, to badly quote Charli XCX, she is busy thinkin' 'bout boys, but there is sometimes a man in the picture with her. Is the problem that he isn't the man she's thinking about? Maybe the painting is trying to tell us to be careful at getting distracted as it is later than you think and your life is passing without you noticing.  

Actually, maybe Marcus Stone is saying that there are worse ways to spend your life than with a good book and a nice cat.  I can't argue with that.

See you tomorrow.