Happy Birthday, Topsy!

So, today (eyes clock)....Yesterday... (ok, I count it as today still since I haven't gone to bed yet) was William Morris' birthday!! In celebration, a couple of treats to share.

First, the best cake ever...a William Morris birthday cake in a very Morris-ian lettering, from William Morris on Facebook:


Second, a portrait of Topsy I had never seen before, posted by Kirsty over at The Kissed Mouth along with a wonderful blog post about his life.


Of all the portraits I've ever seen of him, this seems to sum him up best...too busy to even stay still for a portrait, working hard on one project or another. Dear Topsy...the man whose physician diagnosed his cause of death as being "simply being William Morris, and having done more work than most ten men."

Persephone Knits

Thanks to Aurora for finding this rather surprising Pre-Raphaelite sighting in line at the grocery store. Vogue Knitting magazine's current issue:

Waterhouse Mermaid Sculpt

My friend Laurie Ann Haus made me aware of the sculptures/dolls of Anna-Mari Kaipainen, and I thought her version of Waterhouse's mermaid was so lovely I had to share it.

I think she did a phenomenal job of capturing the expression of the original.

Bleak Old Shop of Stuff

Thanks to Verity for giving me the heads-up on a new BBC comedy series called "The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff"...a play on BBC historical pieces, with a rather Monty Python-esque bent.

But the second episode she pointed out has the best moment of the series so far. Watch the video for details, but "Pre-Raphaelite pervert" is my new favorite phrase.

Episode 2 is below, but might I recommend you start with episode 1?



Also, I really want a Mechanical French Hater. Just sayin.

Pictures from The Cult of Beauty

Many thanks to Daniel Silveira for allowing me to share these wonderful images from the Cult of Beauty event


Lincoln Faulkner Smith and Jane Xavier Dougherty

William Morris laughs as his portrait is painted:
Inspired by Waterhouse's Ophelia (my favorite painting)

Like an Alma Tadema painting:

Autumn Adamme is like the Cult of Beauty exhibit catalogue incarnate:

Raymond Ernest Andre III:

Autumn Adamme and Corey March:
Vienna La Rouge:
Fun for the whole family!

And a Stained Glass Window...

Raine has done it again, and I laughed so hard at this one, I have to share.

For those of you who don't know, there is some whispering of rumor that Topsy and Georgie might have secretly had an amorous and never acted-upon admiration for each other. Goodness knows as much as I love Ned, his wandering eye deserves a bit of a ribbing....

Artist's Salon Hosts Cult of Beauty Event

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Artists Salon, the same group responsible for the P.R.B. artistic performances at Dickens' Faire every year, are having another event! If only I lived closer to San Francisco!

I quote from the announcement on their Facebook page:

Visions of Beauty – Inside the Victorian Artist Salon: “Cult of Beauty” – March 11, 2012 Legion Of Honor San Francisco between 12:00 and 3:00 PM

On March 11, 2012, at the San Francisco Legion Of Honor, The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Artist Salon (Dickens Faire Adventurers’ club members) will be hosting a program called “Visions of Beauty – Inside the Victorian Artists Salon” in galleries 8 and 12.

The museum has advertised for this event. Please see the link below:

http://legionofhonor.famsf.org/legion/calendar/visions-beauty-inside-victorian-artists-salon-studio-presented-partnership-dark-gard

We will perform from 12:00 Noon until 3:00 PM in two separate rooms.

In Gallery #12 “Grosvenor Gallery”, we will be hosting an Artist Drawing Studio. This will involve three tableaux and a life drawing lesson by Virginia. The three tableaux will be as follows:

• Midsummer by Albert Moore
• Ophelia by John Waterhouse
• Girl in White by James Whistler

Drawing pads and pencils will be provided.

In Gallery #8 “Cheyne Walk”, we will be hosting an Artist Salon. Poets, Artists, Models, Actors and Actresses, and other noted Aesthetes will engage our guests in topical banter and present noted works of poetry, plays and music. See George Frederic Watts paint his famous portrait of William Morris. Hear great singers perform works from Gilbert and Sullivan, Hear exerts from Oscar Wilde’s newest play and witness the drama between James Whistler and John Ruskin. The program includes:

• Fireworks at Cremorne Gardens
• The Importance of Being Earnest
• Short on Patience
• Visions of Beauty Poetry
• Meet the Aesthetes

Each of our two programs will run 90 minutes and then repeat so that visitors won’t have to miss either performance. Re-actors for this event include; Julie Margaret Cameron, Fanny Cornforth, Edward William Godwin, Frederick Hollyer, Lillie Langtry, Rose La Touche, Lord Frederic Leighton, Effie Millais, John Everett Millais, May Morris, William Morris, Dante Rossetti, Lizzie Siddal (Rossetti), Lucy Maddox Brown Rossetti, John Ruskin, Mari Spartali (Stillman), Algernon Swinburne, Ellen Terry, Lady Waterford, George Frederic Watts, and James Whistler. We should also mention that Dark Gardens Corsetry will also be performing in Gallery 10.

We hope everyone can join us for this exciting event. If you want to come in costume, we are playing the period from 1870 to 1900. Bustle gowns or Aesthetic Dress are good.

Fairyland Lustre Ware

Many thanks to Kathryn Frearson on the Facebook page for Domythic Bliss for making me aware of the phenomenal artist, Daisy Makeig-Jones, and the Fairyland Lustre Ware she produced in the early 1900s for Wedgwood. I am not that familiar with early 20th c. pottery and vessel-ware, though I do know Rookwood and of course the de Morgans. I was blown away by the work of this phenomenal artist, and now I can't get enough of the stuff!!

Here's an excellent article on Makeig-Jones shared by Kathryn.

And some gorgeous examples from auction sites:






The piece below was featured in a delightful blog post from SurLaLune:





The figures on this last vessel immediately reminded me of Thomas Cooper Gotch's The Child Enthroned.

Join the Sisterhood!

Join the movement-of-awesome that is the Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood Official T-shirt.


Awesome blogger and author of Stunner, Kirsty Walker, has one!

Creator of the Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood and lovely Stunner herself, Stephanie Pina has one!

And your Pre-Raphaelite-addicted and somewhat unhinged webmistress of The Beautiful Necessity has one!

Join the club!