The Victorian Web

"A Hymn to Spring," an oil-painting by Cecil Gordon Lawson (1849-1882), from 1871-72. Daffs, blossom, a single dove flying... looks like a March day in the home counties (it was painted in Berkshire). #painting https://victorianweb.org/victorian/painting/lawson/paintings/3.html

Walter Crane's waterolour "A Herald of #Spring" is perfect for the season but rather sad today because he died #OnThisDay 1915, after creating so much inspired work in so many media. The #stainedglass of "The Rising Sun of Righteousness" was also designed by him. https://victorianweb.org/art/stainedglass/crane/1.html

The periodicals "revolution" in the 19c was such an amazing phenomenon--and women played such a big part in it! Here's Martin Hewitt reviewing Graham Law's book on the subject, & Emily Faithfull's pioneering printing office on the side! https://www.victorianweb.org/periodicals/hewitt.html

"There IS no wealth but life!” #Ruskin's words are movingly brought home to us at this time of seasonal change by Jim Spates, in one of his "Why Ruskin?" blogs, which he has allowed us to reprint https://victorianweb.org/authors/ruskin/spates/spring.html

Breathtaking Minton #tiles at St George's Hall, #Liverpool—"diagonal panels...supporting a celebration of great overlaid circlets, set very much like lilies in a pool...surrounded by multiple margins of elaborate concentric design"—photo by Patrick Carson https://victorianweb.org/art/design/ceramics/minton/39.html

Meteorological #spring! This is Daniel Alexander Williamson's "Spring," c. 1860-61—he was born in Liverpool, and influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites; his landscapes were well-liked. Notice the little lamb in the shepherd-boy's arms #painting https://victorianweb.org/painting/williamson/paintings/2.html

The Artists Rifles (no apostrophe!) was established #OnThisDay 1860. Do you recognise three of the founding members? If not, see — don't cheat by looking at the alt text! https://victorianweb.org/history/army/artistsrifles.html #painters

So what was it really like to live in #Victorian #London? Of course, it depended on your circumstances. Here's a cross-section of Londoners on a bench in St James's Park, observed by George Pinwell https://victorianweb.org/painting/pinwell/drawings/4.html #painting

Ever wondered who sat for all these paintings? Angela Bolger has written about the young woman whose face became so familiar at the end of the 19c: Mary Lloyd, artist's model for Frederic Leighton and others in his circle
https://victorianweb.org/painting/models/lloyd1.html

Rain again! This is Fred Barnard's take on "The Streets — Night," in the "Scenes" of Dickens's "Sketches by Boz" Look familiar?! #weather #illustration
https://victorianweb.org/art/illustration/barnard/sketches/6.html

The Jacobite Steam Train travelling along the Glenfinnan viaduct, the longest concrete viaduct in Scotland, constructed 1897-1901. Highly recommended trip! victorianweb.org/technology/b... #trains #railways #bridges #Scotland

"The Purification Snowdrop" — designed and chromolithographed by W R Tymms--delicate illuminations discussed in an essay by Simon Cooke https://victorianweb.org/art/illustration/tymms/bio.html

So have you posted your #Valentine card? Too late now and anyway it may be safer to send an e-card! This is what might have happened in Victorian times: cartoon entitled "The Great Overflow of Affection"! https://victorianweb.org/periodicals/fun/valentine/4.html

Samuel Palmer's "The Golden Hour", 1865: "The bars of cirrus and the setting sun, the cottage (a memory of the Shoreham years), the stone bridge with a labourer, his dog and a wain passing across it, the ancient church, and the cattle contentedly paddling ..." https://victorianweb.org/painting/palmer/drawings/3.html #painting

Special day for us (or anyway for Queen Victoria!): #OnThisDay 1840 she got married to Prince Albert. Here she is, looking up at him adoringly, in this detail from George Hayter's painting of the ceremony https://victorianweb.org/painting/hayter/paintings/2.html

Ever wondered what exactly constitutes a generation? Just one of the issues
Diane Josefowicz looks at in her very discerning review of Martin Hewitt's "Darwinism's Generations: The Reception of Darwinian Evolution in Britain, 1859-1909"—do read! https://www.victorianweb.org/science/darwin/hewitt.html

#OnThisDay 1876, Punch caricatured John Ruskin, showing him battling against the incursion of railways into his beloved Lake District (glad to say it has some wonderful heritage steam trains now, so not too sympathetic!) https://victorianweb.org/authors/ruskin/gallery/ruskin.punch.html #cartoonArt

"#February in the Isle of Wight," by John Brett, 1866--a little bit of mist pooling in the valley, but full of promise of the coming spring. Looking forward to that! https://victorianweb.org/painting/brett/drawings/4.html #painting #PreRaphaelites

The artist Arthur Hughes was born #OnThisDay 1832. One of his paintings was of "A Music Party" (1862-4)— a popular subject in those days. William Michael Rossetti enjoyed its "dreamy charm" #paintings #PreRaphaelites
https://victorianweb.org/painting/hughes/paintings/29.html