Monday 15th December - Courtship on the Beach

This is our final full week of Blogvent! Time has really flown this time, and I see that by the end, I will have published over 1000 posts on The Kissed Mouth, which seems insane. Thank you to everyone who has been in touch over the last 14 years and said that it has helped them with their school work, PhDs and family mysteries. I love researching and writing all these things up and so if I am vaguely useful on occasion, more's the better.  Onward!

Courtship on the Beach (1867) Charles Wynne Nicholls

My heart leaped when I saw this painting as this is very much my cup of tea. She just wants to read her damn book, Sir, stop bothering her! There is a particular annoyance in getting to a good bit of your book and having someone decide that is the perfect moment to have a conversation. She doesn't look thrilled for a lass being courted, does she?

I might be wrong (never!) but it has the same energy as this couple...

The Irritating Gentleman (1874) Berthold Woltze

Dear me, I love that painting and will always love Mr Woltze (1829-1896) for capturing that moment so perfectly. Anyway, possibly our 'courting couple' are not quite as bad as Woltze's pair, but our gentleman's flirting seems to have seriously depressed his lady-love. No wonder, as she is reading Lady Audley's Secret and had got to the bit with the well. Mind you, if I was the gentleman, I might be a little cautious on woo-ing a lady who is enjoying a book about bigamy, if you get my drift.

Little does our chap realise, but the children are filling his pockets with sand.  Aren't children lovely? The nanny behind seems to be no help whatsoever as the little darling is still pouring away. Everyone is ignoring the figure on the right...

With all the jollity and flirting of this comfortably-middle-class party, this boy in his ill-fitting clothes has gone unnoticed.  He extends a hand for help but they are all too involved with their lives to notice him. Just beyond the boy seems to be a luxurious picnic hamper and all he has clutched in his hand is some dubious bread. I don't know, this blogvent is making me feel very class-revolution-y...

The Light of the Harem (undated)

Charles Wynne Nicholls (1831-1903) was an Irish artist who studied in Dublin, exhibiting at the Royal Hibernian Academy of Art in Dublin before moving to London in 1864 (although he continued to exhibit in Dublin for the rest of his life).  Now probably better known as an Orientalist due to the success of The Light of the Harem, but I like to think Courtship on the Beach is one of a pair...

Envious Glances (1866)

I like to think that these two are looking at the courting couple.  The woman on the left seems to be in half-mourning (at the very least) but I think is on the lookout for husband number 2. I wonder if she too is reading Lady Audley's Secret? Her friend is saying 'Steady Maureen, we only just buried the last one!' but Maureen is not to be detered. If the bookish girl is not interested in the chap with the sandy pockets, Maureen will oblige (so rumour has it). 

See you tomorrow.