Monday 7th December - A Winter's Dream

Monday again and we are a week into Mufvent already!  Goodness me, doesn't time fly when you are larking about with Victorian art?  Anyway, on with the merriment...



A Winter's Dream Norman Prescott Davies

Today's muff is part of a nice matching set that includes a cape and a hood with a pompom.  Very nice too.  Norman Prescott Davies is one of those artists who just bubbles under the Pre-Raphaelite radar; much of his work is classical, in the mood of Godward, but there are moments that fit the Pre-Raph bill, like this one...

As Time Goes By (1893)

Born in 1862, in Middlesex, Davies studied in the Royal College of Art, Guilds Art School and Heatherley's, before working as a miniature, figure painter and portraitist in London. He began to exhibit at 18, in 1880, while living at home, then moving to stay with his uncle.  His family was affluent, his father was a solicitor and his maternal grandfather was Colonel Henry Barkley Henderson, author and artist.  He lived in fashionable Charlcot Gardens during the 1880s, along with other artists such as Jessie Macgregor and Sidney P Hall. 

An Eastern Beauty

In 1880 he became a member of the Royal Academy but quit in 1893 despite continuing to exhibit elsewhere into the 20th century.  He married in 1887 and his daughter Daphne, who grew up to be an actress, was born in 1892.  It seems the bulk of his money came from the trade in 'keepsake beauties'.  I'm glad I found this term because it perfectly sums up the very commercial female figures, popular at the end of the nineteenth century and available as engravings and then postcards. In the few pages I can find on Davies there seems to be a feeling that the artist exploited the market to the expense of his art, becoming just a manufacturer in pretty faces.  There is a soft, pastel blandness to some of his works, all unthreatening and innocent.  Compared with some of the Oriental pieces we have seen, An Eastern Beauty looks like she could be off to a WI coffee morning rather than a sun-soaked bazaar.  I was reminded somewhat of E R Hughes, subject of the great retrospective at Birmingham at present, not because I think the quality of their art is the same but because I only knew Davies because of a greetings card...

Love's Whispers (1896)

Maybe in the future Norman Prescott Davies will be rediscovered and his work brought together.  Until then we can only admire his soft-focus pastel beauties individually.  A Winter's Dream has a bit more depth to it in terms of colour, the darkening winter's day highlighting the golden glow of the young woman.  I'd like to see more of Davies' work, especially if they were as pleasant as this.

My gift for today is something that will keep giving for the whole year...

 By joining the Pre-Raphaelite Society here you can enjoy the journal three times a year, packed with fascinating articles and essays, book reviews and information.  You also get the US Review which tells you what is going on Pre-Raphaelite-wise in America. There are regional groups that meet up for book clubs, and the chance to attend talks and tours to do with art and artists, all of which are splendid.  I joined many, many years ago and have met some great people who have offered so much support.  I can't recommend it enough.

See you tomorrow (for which you might like to have a stiff drink and a sit down)....

Sunday 6th December - Winter

I'm going to have to make this quick (as the actress said to the bishop) because I have a million and one things to do today.  Lily-Rose, my daughter, is a decade old today and therefore there is cake and helium to organise.

On with the muffs!

Winter (1882) Francesc Masriera

Possibly a contender for the fluffiest muff in art history, today's post is about Francesc Masrier and his chilly, chilly Winter. Masrier (1842-1902) was a painter and goldsmith from Barcelona and was born into a family of painters, set designers and silversmiths. His father was also a painter and encouraged his son, who went on to study in Geneva, Paris and Rome. Whilst in Paris, it is believed he met the painter Alexandre Cabanel, but it was whist in Rome that he started to paint the subjects that would become connected to his name...

Salome (1888)

He became well known for his depictions of exotic beauties with their boobs to the wind, or 'Orientalism' as I gather it is called.  For some reason which escapes me, paintings of semi-naked ladies with little to cover their small change but some gold chains and a haphazardly folded tablecloth were popular during the nineteenth century and so a large proportion of Masriera's output seems to have involved such subjects. Although there are a few moments like this too...

Mary Magdalene (1895)

Heavens to betsy, I bet that would get people into church. Moving on...

I love Masriera's girl with her fluffy muff because it's such a simple pictures but so luxuriously detailed.

It's so FLUFFY!!!

That is a wonderful depiction of fur, so shimmery in the light.  You can almost feel it on your face as she peeps over it, presumably at some nice looking chap.  I love how she doesn't appear to be a tease, rather a little shy and uncertain, her facial expression a little unsure of what she is doing.  To emphasise this, the edge of her glove is just folded at the edge and her bangle seems a little large as if this is the first time she's been out on a husband-hunt and she hasn't quite perfected her game yet.  I think she's adorable and so that's why I made her the postergirl for Muffvent...

I have a masters degree in Victorian art and literature,
my father is so proud.

Anyway, before I go and hoover all the things in readiness for a birthday party, I ought to recommend a present...

Today my present is just for you.  I want you to have a sit down and a drink and not worry about anything for a bit.  Even if you can only manage that for about 10 minutes I think you need a break because this time of year can be so busy and stressful it's easy to forget to look after yourself.  You've been doing a great job, there is plenty of time and it will all get done so have a little bit of a sit and relax.  I really appreciate that you've spent some time reading my post and I hope you enjoyed it.  It always makes me so happy when I see that people read my nonsense and I hope that the muffs make you equally as merry. Christmas can be a right sod for making us feel stressed, alone and inadequate.  We are bombarded with images of how happy we should be, how much stuff we should be buying, how much stuff we should be effortlessly cooking then eating with our enormous and grateful family. Well, we all known it doesn't work out like that; there isn't enough time or money and most of the time our families aren't enormous or grateful and instead of looking glamorous, you are on the sofa in your late aunt's dressing gown regretting Googling 'Victorian muff' without the safe-search on.

 

If it all gets too much for you, talk to someone.  If you don't feel you can talk to anyone near you, then talk to a stranger (for example the Samaritans) but please know you are not alone and you can sort it all out with a bit of time, help and peace and quiet.

Thank you for reading this and I hope you have taken the opportunity to have a bit of a rest, after all we have another 18 muffs before Christmas and at least one of those is going to be absolutely filthy, I promise.

See you tomorrow...

Saturday 5th December - Black and White

Today's muff comes from slightly later than we are used to, but I couldn't resist as it is such a striking picture...

Black and White (1930s) Dod Procter

Born in 1892, Doris 'Dod' Procter was a figure, landscape and still life artist, famous for her smooth, light modern style whilst holding very much to figurative works.  In Black and White (which was purchased by Southampton Art Gallery in 1933), we see a group of ladies accessories left on a modern side table after a night out.  Her opera gloves are threaded through the ermine muff and the black and white shawl matches the whole monochrome theme of the picture, recalling the line of the table and the candlestick.  We are left in no doubt that this is a thoroughly up-to-date home of luxury and we are left to speculate on the nature of the evening out - has she been to the opera?  An exclusive cocktail party with oodles of champagne and canapes?  It's unlikely she's been up the 24hr Tesco...

Paws!  Legs, paws and tail!

I remember my mum having two tiny ermine tips in her sewing box which I adored when I was small and unaware that the ermine hadn't parted with them willingly.  With the ermine muff above you are not holding an anonymous ball of fluff but something that has traces of the form of the animal it came from.  Sometimes this went further, such as the photograph above. I'm not squeamish but I don't feel there is anything glam about having dangling feet hanging off your handwarmer.  Even worse, some muffs had the tiny little heads staring at you accusingly. However, the prize for the most odd thing to do with your muff has to go to the 'Illuminated Muff' and how it can scare away the most terrifying city peril.  Or something.

For goodness sake, this is just disturbing. I'm not sure I want to 'blaze forth in glory', thank you very much.  Mind you, if you saw a floating ermine head coming towards you in the fog with glowing eyes, I think it might scare the most determined muff-botherer away...

Morning (1927) Dod Procter

Back to Dod Procter, and she is probably best known for her languorous Morning, bought for the Nation by the Daily Mail and presented to the Tate Gallery. Painted in Cornwall, the model was a fisherman's 16 year old  daughter, Cissie Barnes.  I've always loved the solid smoothness of her figures and Morning is a marvellous example of how 'statuesque' her bodies are.  She is both carved and painted, the Newlyn light cool and clear.  The same clarity and certainty infuses her more urban Black and White. I'd love to see a retrospective of her work in the future to marry these two visions of England between the wars.

 

So, for today's present suggestion, I'm going to go with a bit of jewellery...

 

 

This gorgeous slice of brass is available from the William Morris Gallery shop and is decorated with Morris' Brother Rabbit pattern. It's a nice way to wear a Morris design and each bracelet is handmade in Devon by artist Kate Smith.  They are rather pretty and will no doubt make any Victorian lover giddy with delight.

 

The bracelet is £29.95 and is available from the Gallery shop here.

 

See you tomorrow as our muff-odyssey continues...



Friday 4th December - Lady Cynthia Asquith

Today's muff is very classy indeed and corresponds to people we've talked about before.  Here we have Lady Cynthia Asquith by Edmund Dulac...

 

Lady Cynthia Asquith (1914) Edmund Dulac

Lady Cynthia was a writer, friend of D H Lawrence and secretary to J M Barrie. Her parents were Lord Elcho and Mary Wyndham, two members of the Souls, and her brothers were some of the many sons of the Souls who died in the First World War.  She married Herbert Asquith, son of the Prime Minister (whom you never wanted to sit next to at dinner, trust me), in 1910.  Herbert was a poet from the trenches during the War and I find his work interesting in the mix of knights and muddy death, both appalling and glorified.

 

Lady Cynthia Mary Evelyn Asquith (1912) Bassano Ltd

Lady Cynthia's literary work is remember in two ways.  She was a storyteller, writing some memorable and sometimes chilling stories (I am adding This Mortal Coil to my list to read because 'The Playfellow' short story sounds nice and disturbing).  She also wrote and published diaries, reminiscences and biographies of her friends and royalty.  She also edited collections of ghost stories, anthologies including very well-known writers whom she convinced to submit work to her projects.  Her work has fallen out of print but I definitely fancy reading her diaries from the First World War period too and it would be good if such a modern writer became popular again., especially if she dabbled in spooky tales.

 

The Entomologist's Dream (1909) Edmund Dulac

The artist Edmund Dulac (1882-1953) was no stranger to the strange either.  I particularly like this illustration from a story about an entomologist, driven mad by a quest to find a blood red butterfly to impress a woman with.  Born in Toulouse, he became a naturalised British citizen in 1912 and is probably best known for his fairytale illustrations rather than his portraits, but his career seems to have covered all sorts, including postage stamps...

 

Dulac's 1953 coronation stamp

His portrait of Cynthia Asquith gives the impression of an Edwardian modern woman, the patterning of her surroundings both luxurious and almost abstract, but her pose and costume telling you exactly what sort of woman she is.  She is dressed well and sat with relaxed confidence, but she looks pensive.  Compared with the formal photographic portrait of two years earlier, she looks more comfortable but more 'adult', more aware of what life has to hold.  It would be tempting to say she is considering what the next few years would have to offer, what will become not only of her husband and brothers but all of her generation and class, but instead I think she is emblematic of that change rather than aware of it.

 

In keeping with my Edwardian subject, I recommend The Hours Before by Robert Stephen Parry as my present selection today.  Published earlier this year, it follows a Belle Epoque woman through a momentous night of her life and how she arrived there.

 

My review is here, which has the links to buy it.  Again, it's a great read for a chilly evening and one of my favourite books of the year.  Enjoy!

 

Right, I'll see you tomorrow...

 

 

Thursday 3rd December - Portrait of an Unknown Woman

I'm feeling a bit Russian today, in the mood to sit in a sleigh and fall in love with some random bloke on a horse, then hurl myself under a train.  Hang on, that all sounds a bit tiring.  I might just have a vodka and orange, then call it a 'screwdriver' to appear classier than I actually am.  Anyway, if I do end up in a sleigh, I want to look like this...

Portrait of an Unknown Woman (1883) Ivan Kramskoy

Look at the blue on the edges of her muff (those that thought 'it must be the cold' can see me after class), isn't it heavenly?  The canvas is a harmony of brown and cream, from the velvet (or leather) of the seat, through to the foamy off-white of the feather on her hat, echoing the snow trim on the buildings around her.  That blue just jumps at you, deep and rich as the night sky, but as unexpected as a kiss on a cold day.  It's uncertain whether or not Kramskoy meant this to be an actual portrait, as he created a few images that are a mixture of portraiture and genre, the viewer left to deduce the character of the subject from the evidence left by the artist.  This is a young woman, beautiful and haughty who is literally looking down on us.  Are we not good enough for her, or has she slowed her sleigh to see us despite the difference in our status?

Especially for my friend Vix, here is the perfect thing for when you are pretending to be a Russian lady in a sleigh.  Imagine how nippy it must be, rushing around to the sound of 'Troika'.  You need a dainty muff warmer to ward off the cold that will no doubt creep into every nook and cranny. I love the fact that they felt the need to add the word 'dainty', as if there was such a thing as a hefty muff warmer.  Anyway, this little ceramic flask is filled with hot water and slipped into your muff for a warm glow all day.  I'm not boasting or anything but I once took a hot water bottle into the cinema shoved up the back of my jumper.  There is no greater comfort than something warm pressed against you on a chilly day.  If you can't make the warm thing another person, make it a Dainty Muff Warmer.

My present suggestion for today is sadly not a dainty muff warmer, but another film.  Talk about pressing someone warm against you...

Starring the Rossetti-Millais from the hilarious Effie Gray, Far from the Madding Crowd is gorgeous and emotional and, unusually for Hardy, has a reasonably happy ending.  It also features luscious landscapes and the marvellous Michael Sheen, so buy some crumpets and cider and settle back under a blanket for some Wessex magic.

Far from the Madding Crowd is available everywhere now and my review is here.

Wednesday 2nd December - Miss Donald the Housekeeper at Cliffe Castle

Well, it is proving to be a bit of an eventful Muffvent so far.  Yesterday our boiler stopped working and my daughter threw up and so today will be spent with a recuperating nine year old awaiting the boiler man.  I think a nice, respectable picture is in order...

Miss Donald the Housekeeper at Cliffe Castle Marie Louise Pierrepont

First of all I thought that, as the subject is the housekeeper, Miss Donald was holding some linen but given that she is wearing a rather nice hat, that is probably a white fur muff keeping Miss Donald's hands warm. I love the fact that Miss Donald has grace and a little mystery, not to mention a hint of sadness in her partially shadowed face.  I wanted to know more about painter and subject, which is always a good sign.

Seated Self Portrait, Shown in a Cheval Dressing Mirror (1952)

Marie-Louise Roosevelt Butterfield (then Pierrepont) was the only daughter of Sir Frederick and Lady Jessie Butterfield, born in Belgium in 1889.  She showed a talent for art at an early age and was sent to the Julienne School of Art when her parents travelled to Paris in the early years of the twentieth century.  In 1912 the family settled at Cliffe Castle in Yorkshire where Marie-Louise painted her surroundings, including the people.  Although undated, the portrait of Miss Donald, their housekeeper and Marie-Louise's companion, probably comes from 1912-18, judging by the sober Edwardian dress.  Marie-Louise married Gervas Evelyn Pierrepont, 6th Earl Manvers in 1918 and moved to Thoresby Hall, Nottinghamshire.  At Thoresby, there is an extensive collection of her work amounting to around 700 pieces, some of which can be seen on the PCF/BBC's Your Paintings website.

 

So what of Miss Donald...?

Miss Chaseley on the Undercliff (1927) Maxwell Armfield

At first inspection, with the knowledge that Miss Donald was a housekeeper, I was reminded of Maxwell Armfield's portrait of his housekeeper, Miss Chaseley.  Although Armfield rejected any sort of deeper reading of the picture, I have always taken it to be a picture of one of the countless women who were denied a husband and family because of the First World War.  Despite being 'Miss' Chaseley, she is wearing a wedding ring, and her black dress hints at mourning for a loved one.  The toy boat on the choppy lake makes me imagine a sailor, lost in battle.  All very sad.  Miss Donald's stoic expression, the shadow over her face made me think that her chances of life and love had been denied by the War, as the painting could have been painted 1914-18.  I began to feel terribly sad for the lost life, often the lot of servants.  How wrong was I?

The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922

The Butterfield's travelled widely, taking Miss Donald with them.  In an interview with the Halifax Courier in 1958, when she celebrated her 82nd birthday, the Edinburgh-born Mary Spiers Donald recalled her many adventures with the Butterfields, including crossing the Atlantic numerous times, meeting President Theodore Roosevelt (who the Butterfields were related to) and going on a 100-day world cruise.  However in 1922 she had her most memorable adventure when the family went to Egypt to watch the excavations.  Somewhere in the crowd in the above photograph is Miss Donald, who saw the contents of Tutankhamun's tomb carried out of the ground by Howard Carter and his team.

Miss Donald retired after 50 years service, but during her final year with the Butterfields, she read Foretold by the Stars, a privately published validation of astrology by Charles Everard Mitchell.  Mitchell's predictions had been reported in the Courier for years as he was a local man and he predicted things like the Derby winner and the fate of financial investments and Adolf Hitler (there is an interesting page on him here).  Anyway, Miss Donald was so fascinated by his book that she wrote to the author.  The couple met, fell in love and were married at Cliffe Castle in the summer of 1948. They lived out the rest of their lives in Halifax until they both died in the 1960s, happy together in their old age.  I could not hope for a happier ending for Miss Donald.

My second present recommendation is one of my favourite films of the year, just out on DVD.  As Miss Donald had such a remarkable life and old age, it seems fitting that I recommend Mr Holmes.

Sherlock Holmes retires, keeps bees, becomes my Dad...

I loved this gentle gem of a film filled with mystery, drama and remarkable acting.  Why did Sherlock Holmes give up detecting?  What is the mystery of his final case? Why does my Dad hates wasps so much?  All of these things are answered in this perfect film for a cold, winters night.

Mr Holmes is available to buy now and my review is here.

See you tomorrow!

Tuesday 1st December: Welcome to Muffvent!

Well, here we are again! I can't believe this is the fourth blogvent I have done here at The Kissed Mouth and I have to admit I love every minute of it even though it's always a bit mad.  After last year I got lots of feedback from my readers requesting more paintings that featured a certain ladies accessory.

In fact, I got a request for only paintings featuring a certain ladies accessory.

I always listen to my readers' feedback and so

Welcome to Muffvent!

That's right, 24 days of muff-y goodness to delight you and warm your winter-y days!
Right then, unleash the muffs!



Woman with a Muff (1916-7) Gustav Klimt

There is no doubting that Klimt loved to paint women.  His many female subjects are treated with the utmost appreciation and are often looking back at us with interest. The subject of Woman with a Muff is using her fluffy hand-warmer to obscure her face as she peeks at us coyly. There is something compelling in the contrast between the dark, deep texture of the furry muff and her smooth, pale face against it; it gives a very tactile effect. Maybe Klimt is saying something further, something about the nature of women.  If the dark fur represents a more animalistic nature, the beautiful, cultured face of the model could speak of the mask of respectability we wear.  Whether or not the artist thinks it is a good thing or not is unclear but there seems to be no threat, just a joke we share. We're all animals underneath, we just hide it.

The Polecat Fur (unfinished) (1916) Gustav Klimt

During the First World War period, Klimt did a number of pictures featuring women in fur against a vaguely Chinese/Japanese influenced background.  In The Polecat Fur, the motif is very obvious, with figures in Oriental dress backgrounding the woman in the fur coat.  In Woman with a Muff the figures become more abstract, and we are left with a version of Klimt's familiar swirl of pattern and colour that emphasises the definite line of the female form. This woman's muff is an invitation to get cosy with her which would be awfully pleasant in this chilly weather...

Last year I suggested lovely things you could buy for your nearest and dearest (or yourself) for Christmas.  I rather enjoy legitimising my uncontrolled spending by making you complicit, so here's my first suggestion:

Okay, probably not a massive shock as my first suggestion but I have just published my smashing new novel and I would very much like you to read it.  Perfect for a cold, wintery evening, it's about past sins catching you up and murderous mayhem coming to a nice Victorian town.  You can read a splendid review of it here in case you need any further convincing and I very much hope you enjoy it!

To buy click here (Amazon UK) or here (USA) or at a bookshop near you.

See you tomorrow!