Print of the Day: Mr. Punch's Fancy Ball, 1844

Click image to enlarge.

Mr. Punch's Fancy Ball
Unknown Origins, 1844
The British Museum

The oversized comic scene shows traditional Punchinello characters gathered for a fancy ball and dance. The engraving is printed on two folding sheets and dates to 1844. We’re not sure who produced this wood engraving. Though the title is printed along the bottom, there’s no mention of artist, engraver or publisher. Even the date is not printed, but rather was added later in pencil.

Painting of the Day: A Masquerade at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, 1724

Click image to enlarge.
Masquerade at the King's Theatre, Haymarket
Giuseppe Grisoni, 1724
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Flanders-born* Giuseppe Grisoni (1699-1769) studied in Florence under the artist Tommaso Redi (1665-1726). After a brief sojourn to London with the painter John Talmann (1677-1726), Grisoni returned to Florence where he remained until 1740, working as a teacher at the Academy and turning out portraits and historical paintings. After 1740, Grisoni lived in Rome until the end of his life.

Though this painting is not as finely painted as most of Grisoni's work, it has been attributed to him nonetheless on the basis of a recorded remark, dated May of 1724, by George Vertue which suggests, "Mr Grisoni painter of Florence… has made a fine picture representing the masquerade with various habits."

The canvas depicts a masquerade on the stage of the King's Theatre in Haymarket. This was an opera house which was built by Sir John Vanbrught in 1704-05. The masquerades at the King's Theatre, often emulating the Venetian Carnival, became a tradition after a popular debut in 1711. This work achieves its primary goal of preserving the opulence of the event--showing the luxurious cakes and foods, the gleaming chandeliers and the sumptuous fancy dress.

*

Antique Image of the Day: Clementina, Lady Hawarden, 1864

Clementina, Lady Hawarden and Companion
South Kensington Gardens, 1864
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Isn’t this an odd photo? It dates to 1864 and was taken at the Horticultural Gardens at South Kensington. In left profile, we have Clementina, Lady Hawarden she’s donned fancy dress as a jester or harlequin. Next to her is an unidentified young female companion. Who is this woman? Some believe her to be Marion Lloyd, a close friend and cousin, and the daughter of Lady Hawarden's sister Mary Keith (Keithy) Lloyd. The young lady is dressed in a peasant costume. 

The photo was taken in a photography booth at the gardens.  That's a lot of leg for 1864.

Unusual Artifacts: Queen Victoria’s Costume for the Stuart Ball, 1851

Queen Victoria's Costume for
the Stuart Ball, 1851
Designed by Lemi
Pearls, Silk, Gold Braid, Silver Fringe,
Irish Lace
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II

For the Stuart Ball of 1851, Queen Victoria commissioned the Royal Dressmakers to create a truly breathtaking gown for her—drawing inspiration from her court of King Charles II. Though we often tend to remember Victoria as the Dowager Queen, we must remind ourselves that during her marriage, she was a vibrant and vivacious woman with a taste for fine clothes and gems.


Beaded with seed pearls, the silk gown is also adorned with gold braid, silver fringe and lace. The underskirt was a luxurious brocade created in Benares. The lace is of the finest quality—created in Ireland—in a Venetian raised-point needle style. The lace was most likely purchased at The Great Exhibition of 1850.

While the exact makers of the gown are unknown, it is known to have been designed (with much instruction from the Queen) by Eugéne Lemi—a favorite of the Queen. In this magnificent costume, she’s sure to have made the grand entrance that she’d hoped for.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Via The Royal Collection Trust
All Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Via The Royal Collection Trust
All Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Via The Royal Collection Trust
All Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Via The Royal Collection Trust
All Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Via The Royal Collection Trust
All Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Print of the Day: Mr. Punch's Fancy Ball, 1844

Click image to enlarge.

Mr. Punch's Fancy Ball
Unknown Origins, 1844
The British Museum

The oversized comic scene shows traditional Punchinello characters gathered for a fancy ball and dance. The engraving is printed on two folding sheets and dates to 1844. We’re not sure who produced this wood engraving. Though the title is printed along the bottom, there’s no mention of artist, engraver or publisher. Even the date is not printed, but rather was added later in pencil.

Gratuitous Bertie Dog Picture: The Dog Masque

"I'm waiting for the canapes."

Image:  Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at the Bal Costumé of 12 May 1842, Sir Edwin Landseer (1803-73) (artist), Creation Date: 1846, Materials: Oil on canvas, D, Provenance:
Commissioned by Queen Victoria (payment dated 12 July 1847, £420).


Landseer’s double portrait commemorates the costume ball held on 12 May 1842 at Buckingham Palace, attended by over two thousand people. Prince Albert and Queen Victoria, dressed as Edward III and his consort Queen Philippa of Hainault, received the guests in the Throne Room.

Crown Copyright, The Royal Collection, Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II via The Royal Collection Trust.  To learn more about this painting, visit the entry at The Royal Collection.

You know you want to have a Bertie Dog mug, tee-shirt, tote bag or water bottle. You know you do. So, take a look at our online store. 

Painting of the Day: A Masquerade at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, 1724

Click image to enlarge.
Masquerade at the King's Theatre, Haymarket
Giuseppe Grisoni, 1724
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Flanders-born* Giuseppe Grisoni (1699-1769) studied in Florence under the artist Tommaso Redi (1665-1726). After a brief sojourn to London with the painter John Talmann (1677-1726), Grisoni returned to Florence where he remained until 1740, working as a teacher at the Academy and turning out portraits and historical paintings. After 1740, Grisoni lived in Rome until the end of his life.

Though this painting is not as finely painted as most of Grisoni's work, it has been attributed to him nonetheless on the basis of a recorded remark, dated May of 1724, by George Vertue which suggests, "Mr Grisoni painter of Florence… has made a fine picture representing the masquerade with various habits."

The canvas depicts a masquerade on the stage of the King's Theatre in Haymarket. This was an opera house which was built by Sir John Vanbrught in 1704-05. The masquerades at the King's Theatre, often emulating the Venetian Carnival, became a tradition after a popular debut in 1711. This work achieves its primary goal of preserving the opulence of the event--showing the luxurious cakes and foods, the gleaming chandeliers and the sumptuous fancy dress.

*

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: Queen Victoria in Fancy Dress, 1845

We're back!  Two busy days have passed, and I'm back on schedule.

I though today we'd look at "Fancy Dress."  So, let's get started with one of my favorite watercolors from The Royal Collection Trust.

Queen Victoria in Costume for
The 1745 Fancy Ball
June 6, 1845
Commissioned by the Queen
for her Portrait Album
Watercolor over Pencil
Crown Collection
The Royal Collection

Fancy Dress Balls (or, as we’d say in the U.S., “costume balls”) were quite the sophisticated thing in British Society of the Nineteenth Century.  Everyone enjoyed the freedom of wearing clothes from another time and place.  Queen Victoria was no exception.  This small watercolor and pencil drawing shows Queen Victoria in one of her favorite costumes—a grand gown designed by the royal dressmakers M. and Mlle Vouillon et Laure for the June 6, 1845 Bal Costumé.  The Bal Costumé that year is historically often referred to by the name “The 1745 Fancy Ball.”  The theme that year was to dress as one would have one hundred years prior.  
Queen Victoria was so pleased with her Eighteenth-Century-inspired gown that she commissioned several portraits to be painted of herself wearing the costume.  In her journal entry for that night, she even drew a small sketch of the gown. Though our mental picture of Victoria is of the stoop-shouldered widow in black, we must remember that this was a woman who was once young and in love—a woman who very much enjoyed life. 

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
via The Royal Collection Trust

Print of the Day: Mr. Punch's Fancy Ball, 1844

Click image to enlarge.

Mr. Punch's Fancy Ball
Unknown Origins, 1844
The British Museum

The oversized comic scene shows traditional Punchinello characters gathered for a fancy ball and dance. The engraving is printed on two folding sheets and dates to 1844. We’re not sure who produced this wood engraving. Though the title is printed along the bottom, there’s no mention of artist, engraver or publisher. Even the date is not printed, but rather was added later in pencil.

Unusual Artifacts: Queen Victoria’s Costume for the Stuart Ball, 1851

Queen Victoria's Costume for
the Stuart Ball, 1851
Designed by Lemi
Pearls, Silk, Gold Braid, Silver Fringe,
Irish Lace
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II

For the Stuart Ball of 1851, Queen Victoria commissioned the Royal Dressmakers to create a truly breathtaking gown for her—drawing inspiration from her court of King Charles II. Though we often tend to remember Victoria as the Dowager Queen, we must remind ourselves that during her marriage, she was a vibrant and vivacious woman with a taste for fine clothes and gems.


Beaded with seed pearls, the silk gown is also adorned with gold braid, silver fringe and lace. The underskirt was a luxurious brocade created in Benares. The lace is of the finest quality—created in Ireland—in a Venetian raised-point needle style. The lace was most likely purchased at The Great Exhibition of 1850.

While the exact makers of the gown are unknown, it is known to have been designed (with much instruction from the Queen) by Eugéne Lemi—a favorite of the Queen. In this magnificent costume, she’s sure to have made the grand entrance that she’d hoped for.

Print of the Day: Mr. Punch's Fancy Ball, 1844

Click image to enlarge.

Mr. Punch's Fancy Ball
Unknown Origins, 1844
The British Museum

The oversized comic scene shows traditional Punchinello characters gathered for a fancy ball and dance. The engraving is printed on two folding sheets and dates to 1844. We’re not sure who produced this wood engraving. Though the title is printed along the bottom, there’s no mention of artist, engraver or publisher. Even the date is not printed, but rather was added later in pencil.

Antique Image of the Day: Clementina, Lady Hawarden, 1864

Clementina, Lady Hawarden and Companion
South Kensington Gardens, 1864
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Isn’t this an odd photo? It dates to 1864 and was taken at the Horticultural Gardens at South Kensington. In left profile, we have Clementina, Lady Hawarden she’s donned fancy dress as a jester or harlequin. Next to her is an unidentified young female companion. Who is this woman? Some believe her to be Marion Lloyd, a close friend and cousin, and the daughter of Lady Hawarden's sister Mary Keith (Keithy) Lloyd. The young lady is dressed in a peasant costume. 

The photo was taken in a photography booth at the gardens.  That's a lot of leg for 1864.

Painting of the Day: A Masquerade at the King's Theatre, Haymarket, 1724

Click image to enlarge.
Masquerade at the King's Theatre, Haymarket
Giuseppe Grisoni, 1724
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Flanders-born Giuseppe Grisoni (1699-1769) studied in Florence under the artist Tommaso Redi (1665-1726). After a brief sojourn to London with the painter John Talmann (1677-1726), Grisoni returned to Florence where he remained until 1740, working as a teacher at the Academy and turning out portraits and historical paintings. After 1740, Grisoni lived in Rome until the end of his life.

Though this painting is not as finely painted as most of Grisoni's work, it has been attributed to him nonetheless on the basis of a recorded remark, dated May of 1724, by George Vertue which suggests, "Mr Grisoni painter of Florence… has made a fine picture representing the masquerade with various habits."

The canvas depicts a masquerade on the stage of the King's Theatre in Haymarket. This was an opera house which was built by Sir John Vanbrught in 1704-05. The masquerades at the King's Theatre, often emulating the Venetian Carnival, became a tradition after a popular debut in 1711. This work achieves its primary goal of preserving the opulence of the event--showing the luxurious cakes and foods, the gleaming chandeliers and the sumptuous fancy dress.