Victorians Life and Art

8/8/2019 Victorians Life and Art

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The Victorians:

Their View on Life and Art

By Amanda G., Laurel S., and Kenny K.

Period 7/8


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Politics

There were three (3) main political groups:

Progressives, Tory Radicals, and Conservatives.

Progressives feared government involvement and

promoted personal freedoms of action.

Tory Radicals were basically socialist. They wanted a

strong central government that got involved in

everything and no real aristocracy.

Conservatives encouraged a medieval revival with a

strong aristocracy and official state religion.


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Politics (cont.)

Queen Victoria was clearly avital part of the Victorianage. She ruled as a figureheadfor sixty-four years andcontributed to the general

popularity of the monarchy,despite a number of yearswith a low popularity rate.

At this time, women wereseeking suffrage rights.

Britain also ruled a largeempire with colonies in Africa,Asia, and the South Pacific.

(Queen Victoria)


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Religion

While the Church of England (Anglican Church) was stillthe predominant church, other dissenter religions(basically Protestants) gained some recognition and

followers. Even the hated Catholics were granted civilrights.

However, organized religions clashed with each otherand atheists. When combined with scientificadvancements, this caused many to lose their faith and

led to the Victorian age being known as the age ofdoubt.


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Science

The Victorian era was the start of phrenology, which iswhere humans and the meaning behind their featuresand characteristics are studied. Scientific characteristics of the Irish, blacks, and lower

classes were identified and developed into racism.

This all originated from Mathew Arnolds scientificstudies of Christianity in the 1860s that recalled anti-Semitism back into the mainstream.

Polygenism, the belief that not all people are createdequal, started. People did not see themselves as racist, but rather that

they had an observing nature.

This led to the belief that working class people werebiologically inferior than their bosses.


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Science (Cont.)

Charles Darwin was a prominent scientist at

this time.

He wrote the Origin of Species, which contributedto the religious doubt that was festering in society.


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Fashion

Noblemen wore more comfortable clothing withlower collars and a focus on quality fabrics andmodest colors.

Noblewomens dresses ranged greatly from thelarge puffy bustles to the fitted, almost armor-likeand back again. These drastic changes wereprobably encouraged by the invention of the

sewing machine and the dyes to make thefavored offensively bright colors.


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Fashion (Cont.)

1880s Formal Daytime Dress

(Du Maurier)

1889 Daytime Bustled Dress

(Du Maurier)


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Many writers were against the mores of thatage.

Poets Alfred, Lord Tennyson, A.C. Swinburne,

and Robert Browning, all used obscure allusionsthat confused their audiences.

Browning used uncommon words while Tennysonmade up his own.

These men also created their own forms of poetry thatpeople didnt not understand.


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What hope is here for modern rhyme

To him, who turns a musing eye

On songs, and deeds, and lives, that

lieForshortend in the tract of time?

These mortal lullabies of pain

May bind a book, may line a box,

May serve to curl a maidens locks;

Or when a thousand moons shallwane

A man upon a stall may find,

And, passing, turn the page that tells

A grief, then changed to something

else,Sung by a long-forgotten mind.

But what of that? My Darkend ways

Shall ring with music all the same

To breathe my loss is more than

fame,To utter love more sweet than praise.

An example of Alfred, Lord Tennysons work from his narrative, In Memoriam in theSection LXXVII [What hope is here for modern rhyme ].


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Painting

Fairy-themed paintings

were popular, along

with romanticized

Victorian versions ofclassic Rome.

This is a Roman-based painting titled

The Remorse of Nero. (Waterhouse)


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Stained Glass

Many houses had stained glass in either thefront hall or as panels in doors.

These windows helped to add much-needed

color because outside was often dark withsoot and smoke (because of the abundantindustrial mills).

There are many stained glass designs. The majority of Victorian designs for in the home

had floral themes.


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Ceramics

It became popular toimitate Japanese andother oriental ceramicstyles.

Prized vases were oftendisplayed on homemantelpieces.

Ceramic tiles, often floralpatterns in greens and

browns, were used todecorate porches andaround the fireplace.

1873 Chinese imitaion vase with yin-yang

symbols. (Fine Art Society)


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Furniture

Victorian furniture weighed much less than in

previous years.

Bamboo furniture and other oriental stylescame into fashion.

It also became fashionable to collect antique

furniture.


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Wallpaper

There were two classes of wallpaper patterns inthe Victorian age: simple and complicated.

Simple papers were the patterns with a repeating

geometric designs. Complicated papers were the patterns with more

complex designs like shields and flowers. They weresometimes even made to look 3D.

Wallpaper was also used to imitate costly fabricsand give the impression of wealth and status.


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Victorian architecture oftentried to reconcile the conflictover which should bepredominant: utility oraesthetic.

Some notable combinations ofart and architecture were madethat affected everyday living.

One example was whenceramic roofing (terra cotta)was manufactured during aneconomic downturn.

Iron and glass were used ininnovative ways in the realmof construction, especially inthe Crystal Palace.

This is the Borough Market in

London. It was built in 1851.(Landow)


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There was also a return in style to Gothic

architecture (medieval times).

Wealthy industrialists replaced the nobility asthe main customers of architects, illustrating

the slow shift of power and wealth in society.


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Works Cited Du Maurier, George. "The return of the bustle." Victorian Women's Fashion,

1870-1900: the Skirt . Web. 21 Sep 2010..

Du Maurier, George. "You Will Please To Deliver Them Into No Hands But HisOwn." Men's and women's formal daytime dress, 1880s . Web. 21 Sep 2010..

Fine Art Society. "Vase." Vase. Web. 21 Sep 2010..

Landow, George P. "Borough Market." Borough Market, London. Web. 21 Sep2010. .

Lord Tennyson, Alfred. "In Memoriam Section LXXVII [What hope is here formodern rhyme ] ." Victorian Web. N.p., 09/2010. Web. 21 Sep 2010..

"Queen Victoria." Queen Victoria. Web. 21 Sep 2010.

. Waterhouse, John William. "The Remorse of Nero." The Remorse of Nero After

the Murder of His Mother: A Brief Explanation . Web. 21 Sep 2010..

All information not specifically cited comes from www.victorianweb.org

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Victorians Life and Art