Painting of the Day: The Duet by Arthur Devis, 1749



The Duet
Arthur Devis, 1749
The Victoria & Albert Museum

 From about 1730, group portraits reached a new popularity in Great Britain. Families commissioned painters to create fashionable portraits of couples or entire groups of beloved friends and family engaged in cultural activities. Among the most popular subjects of such portraits were families in or outside their own homes. This allowed a family to show off their possessions, civility, social rank and way of life. These kinds of paintings were typically considered “conversation pieces” and depicted groups taking tea, playing cards, and music in monumental settings.

These settings often did not represent real interiors. Painters such as the celebrated portrait artist Arthur Devis tended to show these interiors as grand and sparsely furnished. Take this portrait from 1749, for example which shows a couple in a grand interior. The scene is clearly fanciful, but the detail of the paintings on the walls and the view of the park through the fashionable Venetian window suggest that the background is probably based on a real house. Devis shows us an unknown couple of evident social standing. The woman is shown seated at a harpsichord while her companion hands her sheet music. Such a scene implies wealth, culture, taste, harmony, and leisure.

Devis was famous for informal portraits such as this. Devis' customers tended to be of the class of wealthy landowners as opposed to titled nobility.

Punch’s Cousin, Chapter 342

Marjani rushed forward.

“Stop that woman!” Marie screamed.

Several of the people in the writhing crowd turned and grabbed for Marjani, but she still managed to reach Mr. Punch’s side.

“Giovanni!” Marie Laveau belched furiously. “Restrain her!”

Giovanni Iantosca nervously looked up from where he knelt beside his unconscious brother, Charles.

“Do it or I’ll make sure that your brother’s blood will be spilt for the last time!”

Giovanni rose and staggered toward Marjani, grabbing her by the shoulders.

“Forgive me,” He whispered in Marjani’s ear.

“Only God done got that power now.” Marjani spat. “Let me go. Look at him!” She pointed to Mr. Punch who continued to thrash madly on the ground, ranting in Mr. Scaramouche’s voice. “He needs me.”

Still, Giovanni did not release his grasp.

Marie Laveau walked by Marjani and smiled at her. “So, the Elegant Ogress and the red-headed harlot betrayed me, did they? I’m not surprised. Their loyalty is like smoke. It gathers and fades with the changing of the wind.” Marie brushed her fingers against Marjani’s cheek. “Where will the wind carry you?”

“I ain’t carried by nothin’ but love.” Marjani said firmly. “And, I don’t got no love for you, Marie Laveau.”

“I’ll tell you a secret,” Marie smiled, rubbing her stomach. “I fear you.”

“You should.” Marjani growled.

“You have a power that I don’t quite understand. I don’t think you’re aware of how powerful you really are.”

“I know what God has put me here to do.”

“It ain’t God that put you here, Woman!” Marie cackled. “It was me. I’m your god now! Your power is mine. On this night, all power is mine.” She pointed toward Mr. Punch. “Even his.” Looking at Giovanni, Marie narrowed her eyes, “Hold her.”

With that, Marie Laveau sauntered over to Mr. Punch and tapped him with her foot.

“Your Grace?” Marie laughed. “There’s nothing particularly graceful about you right now, is there?”

“Let me go!” Punch screamed, or, more accurately, Mr. Scaramouche—who had since taken control of the body—screamed. “I’ll make all of you suffer! I won’t be treated like this! You won’t take my freedom!”

“I’ll take whatever I damn well please.” Marie snarled. “But, I do want you to be comfortable, Your Grace.”

‘Thieves! Liars!” Scaramouche continued to shriek.

“I understand you like to hit people on the head.” Marie knelt down.

“That’s Punch!” Scaramouche answered shrilly.

“Well, whoever it is, he looks like you, and I want you to be happy.” Marie grinned. Marie reached over and picked up a rock from the side of the bonfire. The heat of it felt good in her hand and she shivered with excitement.

“What’s she doin?” Marjani howled as she watched Marie raise the stone above her head.

From within their shared body, Mr. Punch screamed. “Master! I knew this weren’t a good idea! Scaramouche only made it worse, he did!”

“It is done, now, Mr. Punch.” Julian said softly from Punch’s side in the room that only they could see.

As the rock struck the head of their shared body, neither Punch nor Julian felt anything. It seems that Scaramouche absorbed all of the pain.

However, their phantom room filled with darkness.

“Master?” Punch said, hoping to hear Julian’s voice in response. But, Julian did not respond. Julian had left Punch’s side.

Elsewhere in their shared body, in an opulent drawing room of his own imagination, Julian bowed his head. “Your Majesty,” he said with deep sincerity. “It is my honor to serve you.”



Did you miss Chapters 1-341? If so, you can read them here.

Card of the Day: The Coronation Ceremony: The Crowning

The Churchman Cigarette Company’s series of cards in honor of the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary are mostly comprised of images of the coronation ceremony through the ages. Curiously, few of them depict George V and Mary, however, here’s one that does.

The eighteenth card in the series shows the moment of the crowning itself, and here we see King George V as the crown is lowered upon his head. The Monarch is crowned while seated upon St. Edward’s Chair. We can see that specific scene in this picture. And, here, for the sake of comparison ar two other images from that day in 1911, both from the Royal Collection.

Object of the Day: A Saucer Commemorating the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary, 1935

This is a new addition to my collection. Here, we see a saucer which was manufactured for the 1935 Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary. The saucer is unmarked, so I can’t be sure who made it. Perhaps its long-gone matching cup had a mark.

Nevertheless, it’s an attractive piece with its fluted decoration and handsome portraits of George V and Mary of Teck as they looked at their 1911 coronation. The sides of the saucer are adorned with crossed flags—the flag of the empire and the Royal Standard.

King George V, as we know, passed away in 1936, shortly after the celebration of his Silver Jubilee. He and Queen Mary were much beloved by the people of Britain for their steadfast guidance during the First World War.

Mastery of Design: A Diamond and Pearl Bee Brooch, 1890

Brooch
English, 1890
The Victoria & Albert Museum

There’s not much to say about this pretty, little brooch except that it’s pretty. Unfortunately, not much is known about where it came from or who made it.


It is, almost certainly, the work of an English jeweler and was made at the end of the Nineteenth Century when such brooches were the height of fashion. A simple design of a bee, the brooch is set with two large pearls and rose-cut diamonds and is mounted on a bar pin.

I would guess that this was probably a brooch given to a young lady who would not have been able to wear the larger, more ornate jewels that a more mature woman could wear. It is tasteful and attractive, and just right for a younger person.

Nevertheless, it is quite lovely and it fits in with our theme today.

Gifts of Grandeur: The Caroline of Naples Tiara, 1808

The Caroline of Naples Tiara
Italy, 1808
The Victoria & Albert Museum

This gold tiara set with four lapis lazuli plaques inset with shells and pearls in pietre dure mosaic is believed to have belonged to Caroline Murat (1782-1839), Queen of Naples. Part of an impressive parure, the tiara shows the fine workmanship of its maker, Real Laboratorio of Naples, known for impressive suites of jewelry such as this. The parure is still kept in its original leather box which is stamped with a crowned “C” in gold.

Some historians contend that the pietre dire panels were produced by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence while the gold work was finished in Naples. The Grand Ducal Workshop, Opificio delle Pietre Dure, was founded in 1588 and still operates today under the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage.

The suite consists of a matching necklace, earrings and comb in addition to the magnificent tiara.

Humanitarian of the Week: April Winchell

April Winchell

My goal with Stalking the Belle Époque, as my regular readers know, was to create an online community wherein we remember that there’s still beauty in this ugly world. We do so by looking back to the wonderful things and works of art created by humanity both past and present. This has given us an opportunity to look at the best results of the creative spirit as evidenced through magnificent paintings, sculpture, jewels, objects, photography, films, furnishings and architecture. Throughout, we have learned a lot about our world history and our world culture.

April Winchell also studies the end result of the creative process. Like me, she does this daily. However, Miss Winchell is not afforded the luxury of finding the beauty of the world. She is faced with the task of finding the opposite. Through Miss Winchell’s Web site, Regretsy (a spoof of the crafting site, Etsy.com), she shows us the unfortunate, often hideous, often offensive and always amusing fruit of the creative spirit by hand-selecting the most bizarre handicrafts and artwork that she can find.

At first glance, Regretsy might seem to be nothing more than a found-content blog that serves only to poke fun at bad crafting. But, it’s much more than that. With her biting, usually salty and always irreverent commentary, Miss Winchell first entertains us and then challenges us to think about just why the image we’re looking at is wrong and what that says about the state of our world’s art and culture.

Essentially we’re doing the same thing. I’m showing you the good stuff and asking you to put it in context, and she’s showing you the bad. Though Regretsy is certainly more R-rated than Stalking the Belle Époque (and, here, I caution my regular readers that they will encounter a lot more four-letter words and titillating imagery there than they’re used to seeing here), the concept is largely the same. Along the way, I think, April has ruffled quite a few feathers of those who don’t quite grasp what she’s trying to do—this is more than evidenced through the many “flounces” from disgruntled readers that she has posted on her site. And, while her presentation may be extreme at times, I applaud her for it. Not being a very extreme person myself, I can appreciate and admire those who face ugliness with equal power.

I count myself as one of the many, many thousands of daily readers of Miss Winchell’s work and I can always count on getting a laugh from her site. But, even more so than laughter, I can honestly say that each day, she has given me a chance to think. She’s illustrating the very cultural stagnation that I’m trying to combat.

But, there’s more to April Winchell than just sarcastic commentary and ironic pictures. The daughter of the late genius Paul Winchell, April is a talented and celebrated actress, voice talent, writer and radio host whose ingenious musings have added depth to a variety of publications and media.

Even more so impressive, however, are Miss Winchell’s humanitarian efforts. These she performs quietly and humbly—in stark contrast to the “Helen Killer” persona she utilizes on her Web site. Among her many charitable works (which include working with Project Angel Food, among others), Miss Winchell spearheads, “April’s Army.” Miss Winchell puts it best on her own Web site”

April's Army is one of the largest teams on Etsy, and is comprised entirely of Regretsy members.


During the last week of each month, participating sellers set aside at least one handmade item to benefit Regretsy’s charity fund. The proceeds go directly to a needy Etsy seller or someone in the community facing difficult obstacles. Information about the current month’s recipient will be posted in the shop’s profile.

That’s pretty outstanding. And, once again, we are challenged to look deeper than the surface. Hers is not a Web site dedicated to the negative. It is, in fact, a positive place which seeks to make a difference—even if in small doses. So, for her charitable efforts, her wit and her particular brand of genius, April Winchell is our “Humanitarian of the Week.”