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The Victorian age. By melanie sugeng. An introduction. The reign of Queen Victoria until her death (1837-1901) Considered to be narrow-minded, prudish, hypocritical and pretentious Socially and politically split
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The Victorian age By melaniesugeng
An introduction • The reign of Queen Victoria until her death (1837-1901) • Considered to be narrow-minded, prudish, hypocritical and pretentious • Socially and politically split • Many great works of art and literature created such as Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, John William Waterhouse, Bronte Sisters & William Thackeray • Europe’s imperialism and colonization on Africa and Asia
Value and social conditions • Lower, Middle, Upper Class • The richer, the better and those with more money were immediately the better person. Status meant everything. • Lower/working class; physical labour, prostitution and trafficking, beggars, servants, poor health and nutrition and little chance of an education due to children and women having to work • Middle class; bankers, shopkeepers, tailors, merchants, engineers and skill/professional occupations, many (especially middle class) aspired to join ranks with the upper/elite class • Upper/wealthy class; inherited money, nobility and intellectual, took part in courtships, social entertainment and etiquette
The arts in Victorian times • Era of elegance, decadence and aesthetics • The Victorians used art as a tool for social education, pleasure and moral enlightenment • Include Classicism, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Impressionism, and Post-Impressionism, all of which intensify the themes of antiquity, grace, delicacy and brilliance (in comparrison to nowadays favour to modern styles such as pop art, cubism and Bauhaus). • Painting directly from nature, and elaborating on colour, texture, detail, and almost photographic representations • Art was intended for the wealthy. Those who could afford it, controlled it. • Therefore only the upper-class could really own and admire art since they had the money. (paintings, looks and appeal via. clothing/make-up/textiles, architecture, food, pottery ect.)
EXAMPLES OF ART IN THE VICTORIAN ERA Sir John Everett Millais, Ophelia, 1851 Edward Hughes, Midsummers Eve, 1851
London in the victorian era • Population increased rapidly and by 1880, had quadrupled since the beginning of the 19th century • Overcrowded slums living in the shadows of prominent, novel and majestic buildings/developments • Known to be the most notorious, largest and most spectacular city in the world • The main location of the diversity in social classes
Dorian gray and the victorian age • Sybil Vane and her mothers allure to Dorian’s social class/money • Dorian, Basil and Henry all having money to afford luxurious and beautiful things • In the midst of social class, Dorian can woo his way through social events and entertainments which gives him a reputation and alliances (also how he first meets Henry through connections with other elitists) • Parallel to how Wilde saw the era which he was living in • Shows contrast to when Dorian visits both upper (his/henry/basil’s place) and lower class areas (the opium dens/the theatre)
bibliography • Eras of Elegance - Art, Literature and Music in the Victorian Era. 2013. Eras of Elegance - Art, Literature and Music in the Victorian Era. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.erasofelegance.com/history/victorianarts.html. [Accessed 20 April 2013]. • Social Class. 2013. Social Class. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.victorianweb.org/history/Class.html. [Accessed 20 April 2013]. • The Victorian Era. 2013. The Victorian Era. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.victoriaspast.com/FrontPorch/victorianera.htm. [Accessed 20 April 2013]. • Victorian era - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2013. Victorian era - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_era. [Accessed 20 April 2013]. • BBC - History - British History in depth: The Rise of the Victorian Middle Class. 2013. BBC - History - British History in depth: The Rise of the Victorian Middle Class. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/middle_classes_01.shtml. [Accessed 20 April 2013]. • . 2013. . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.avictorian.com/victorianart.html. [Accessed 20 April 2013].