Mastery of Design: Paul, The Fabergé Bulldog, 1910

French Bulldog
Carl Fabergé
1910
The Royal Collection

As a child, the future King George V was surrounded by the dogs that lived with his father, King Edward VII and mother, Queen Alexandra. Among the assorted Royal canines, King George V developed close relationships with the French Bulldogs in particular. As an adult, George had a fondness for a French Bulldog named Paul. Paul modeled for Carl Fabergé and the result is this statuette of agate, guilloché enamel, rose-cut diamonds.


King George V purchased this statuette, along with several others, from Fabergé’s London Branch shortly after his father’s death, and George’s subsequent ascent to the throne, in 1910. He presented the figure to his wife, Mary of Teck, who enjoyed these things quite a lot. While it was an addition to Mary’s existing collection of Fabergé animals, it was the start of a subset collection of tiny French bulldogs.

The Home Beautiful: “Dot and Cairnach, Skye Terriers” by Otto Weber, 1874

Dot and Cairnach, Skye Terriers
Otto Weber, 1874
The Royal Collection

Royal Academician Otto Weber was appointed portrait painter to The Royal Family in the 1870’s by Queen Victoria. Being as Victoria considered the royal pets to be as much a part of the family as anyone else, she commissioned Weber to paint portraits of her dogs, too.

This 1874 portrait shows two Skye Terriers who lived amongst the other dogs in the royal household. Known as Dot and Cairnach, these spirited companions were known to frolic through the corridors in typical terrier fashion. This wasn’t Cairnach’s first time posing for a portrait. He had previously been painted by Sir Edwin Landseer on several occasions and served as a great source of inspiration for the artist who used the terrier’s visage in quite a few masterpieces.

Curiously, another of Landseer's portraits is of a dog also called Cairnach.  This one dates to 1842.  This handsome pup, who was honored later by the name given to the Skye, was a Maltese Terrier.    The 1842 portrait roundel was a Christmas gift to Queen Victoria from Prince Albert.

Cairnach
Sir Edwin Landseer, 1842
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Royal Pets: Boz, Favourite Skye Terrier of the Duchess of Kent and afterwards the Queen, 1861

Boz, the Favourite Skye Terrier of the Duchess of Kent and Thereafter Queen Victoria
Study by Friedrich Wilhelm Keyl, 1861
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Though Queen Victoria and her mum didn’t get on so well all the time, they did share an appreciation for dogs. So, when the Duchess of Kent finally died, Queen Victoria adopted the Duchess’ Skye Terrier, Boz.

This sketch of colored chalks on gray paper is the work of Friedrich Wilhelm Keyl (1823-71) and is dated June 1861. The drawing was made as a study for an oil painting which was commissioned by Queen Victoria in 1861.

Keyl was Sir Edwin Landseer’s only pupil and mastered his teacher’s ability to create sensitive and accurate animal portraits.

Boz lived with Queen Victoria for another three years after the Duchess of Kent’s passing, and the Queen doted on him. In honor of the friendship between Boz and Queen Victoria, this sketch is proudly displayed in the Charles Dickens Reception Room at Buckingham Palace. Only fitting since the terrier was named for Mr. Dickens.

Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square, Chapter 235

Chapter 235

Tied



Mrs. Pepper, Speaight, Georgie, Violet, Jenny and Ethel stood around the long wooden table at the center of the servants’ hall—their eyes all fixed upon a package wrapped in brown paper and tied with a string.

“Oh, Your Grace,” Mrs. Pepper said, bowing her head slightly as Punch, Robert and Lennie came into the hall, followed by Speaight.

The others nodded accordingly.

“Speaight tells us we got some mysterious whatnot.” Punch said, relieved that he could speak so freely in front of the staff.

“It’s addressed to you, Your Grace.” Speaight explained.

The staff stepped aside to let their masters examine the package.

“I know the hand,” Lennie frowned.

“Orpha?” Robert asked.

“Yes.”

“Coo!” Ethel exclaimed, “That witch still…”

Speaight shot her a stern look, sending the girl into silence.

“Yes, Ethel,” Mr. Punch said softly. “She is still.”

“Don’t open it, Your Grace.” Mrs. Pepper urged.

“It’ll be all right, Mrs. Pepper.” Punch replied affectionately.

“Who brought the package?” Robert asked.

“A messenger, Sir.” Georgie answered. “Came to the area door. Didn’t think nothin’ of it at first only Mr. Speaight said it were a queer lookin’ package. I hadn’t seen it at first…”

“What hadn’t you noticed, George?” Robert asked.

“Shall I turn the thing over, then, Mr. Speaight?” Georgie asked.

“I don’t want ya to touch it, love.” Mrs. Pepper interrupted.

“I already done. It’ll be fine, mum.” Georgie replied. He reached forward and flipped the package over to reveal a carefully drawn skull on the reverse.

“Ah.” Punch sighed, “Yes, that is rather queer.”

“We ought to have Charles here…” Jenny whispered. “Where is he?”

“In the dinin’ room.” Ethel replied softly. “I think we ought to get him. We need a younger man than Mr. Speaight here case it’s somethin’ that hor’ble.”

“I could go get ‘im.” Jenny said bravely, but quietly.

“Jenny,” Speaight snapped. “Are you running the household now?”

“No, Sir.” Jenny replied, her voice shaking.

“Then, you’ll leave the first footman’s assignments to me?”

“Now, now…” Punch interrupted patiently. “No one meant any harm. We’re all just a tad on edge. We ain’t gonna let this upset us. Now, Vi, will you hand me that knife?”

“Yes, Your Grace.” Violet nodded, doing as instructed.

“Do be careful.” Lennie urged softly.

Punch cut the string and began to unwrap the paper slowly. From the package rolled a long lock of light brown hair, tried with a black ribbon.

Violet gasped. “Just like they done to me.”

Mrs. Pepper put her arm around the girl.

“Whose is it, Your Grace?” Ethel asked.

“Ethel…” Speaight warned.

“There’s a note with it.” Punch picked up a crisp piece of paper upon which a message had been scrawled in dark red ink. He handed it to Robert who studied it.

Robert scowled. “The hair belongs to a child, a little girl called Fern.”

“What’s she got a little girl for?” Ethel asked. “Who’d give that woman a child to look after?” Ethel then suddenly blushed, realizing that the Duke and the doctor had initially hired the woman as Colin’s nurse, though to their credit she was masquerading as someone else.

“Don’t worry, Ethel.” Punch smiled.

“What’s the note say, Dr. Halifax?” Georgie asked.

“Would that I could tell you, George, but the contents, I’m afraid, contain information which is private and isn’t ours to reveal.”

“’Course, Sir.” Georgie replied.

“May I?” Lennie asked.

“Certainly,” Robert handed to letter to Lennie whose face went stark white as she read it.

Punch, Robert and Lennie exchanged glances. Robert quickly picked up the lock of hair and the paper wrapping and nodded. “I’m so terribly sorry that this intruded on your evening. Pay it no mind.”

“Thank you, Speaight, for bringin’ it to our ‘tention.” Punch nodded. “We three’d best get back upstairs.”

“Will Your Grace be wantin’ dinner served now?” Mrs. Pepper asked.

“Well…as much as I hate to, we’d best wait a bit. If it won’t in convenience you, Mrs. Pepper.”

“No, Your Grace. In fact, it’ll give the roast more time to get that nice rich flavor what you like so.”

“Fine.” Punch smiled slightly. “Why don’t all of you take your dinner first. Then, we’ll ring for ours. Speaight, if you’d run up and fetch Charles down here, we’d appreciate it.”

“Of course, Your Grace.” Speaight bowed his head.

“Oh…and nursery dinner?” Punch asked

“Already served and eaten.” Mrs. Pepper said proudly.

“Excellent. Well, then, good evening.” Punch answered quickly.

With that, he and Robert, followed closely by Lennie made their way up the stairs.

“Somethin’ ain’t right, Morris.” Mrs. Pepper said softly as she walked by Mr. Speaight.

“All we can do is wait until we’re told to act.” Mr. Speaight whispered.

Ethel, Jenny and George stepped aside while Violet set the table for their dinner.

“Cor…” Ethel said in a hushed tone.

“Ain’t it?” Jenny nodded.

“What’re you two goin’ on ‘bout?” Georgie asked.

“Well…Georgie, ain’t it your evenin’ off?” Ethel began.

“Sure.”

“What’re you doin’?”

“Thought I’d take a walk.” Georgie shrugged. “That is, if Charles don’t mind me leavin’.”

“Take us with ya.” Ethel smiled.

“What for?” Georgie frowned.

“We ain’t gonna let no witch like that make the masters sad, are we?” Ethel grinned.



Did you miss Chapters 1-234? If so, you can read them here. Come back tomorrow for Chapter 236 of Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square.

 

Painting of the Day: Queen Charlotte, 1807

Queen Charlotte
Peter Edward Stroehling, 1807
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Peter Edward Stroehling (1768-1826) created this masterpiece in 1807. Stroehling is a link between the works of the masters of the Dutch Golden Age and those of the early Nineteenth Century. The development of Dutch portraiture is neatly exhibited in the Royal Collection, and, this portrait of Queen Charlotte shows how Stroehling was influenced by the shimmering Seventeenth Century portraits on copper with which he was surrounded as a boy.

Though the artist worked all over Europe, by the dawn of the Nineteenth Century, he’d settled in London where he was styled, in 1810, as “Historical Painter to the Prince of Wales.” In fact, it was the Prince Regent (later King George IV) who commissioned this delicate painting of his mother.

While most of Stroehling’s work tended to be life-sized portraiture, the Royal Collection boasts a rare and important group of small-scale portraits on copper which Stroehling created in the Seventeenth-Century Dutch manner, but using Nineteenth-Century style. He called these little beauties, “Cabinet Pictures” and priced them at 200 guineas each—quite a huge cost at the time—even for a life-sized portrait.

George IV commissioned this painting and five others of his mother, Queen Charlotte, with her five daughters. He had them delivered to his London home, Carlton House, where he displayed them proudly. He particularly liked this one showing the Queen in a pale blue wrap and white gown. She wears a jeweled miniature of her husband, King George II, and at her side, her crown, orb and scepter are displayed on a cushion. Even more charming is the presence of her favorite dog, a Pomeranian.

Object of the Day: A Victorian Scrap of a Handsome Canine

Click image to enlarge

As we’ve reached another Gratuitous Bertie Dog Picture day, I thought we’d look at dog-related items today. Let’s start with this scrap. I’m always intrigued by scraps which remain untouched. Victorian hands cut out these colorful pieces of paper to use for a variety of purposes. They’d be collected in books, they’d be decoupaged onto a variety of objects, they’d be glued into cards. So, when I find one , or I’m given one , that’s survived for over a century without being glued into or onto something else, I find myself wondering why.

I like to think this sweet-eyed doggy was saved because he was special. Perhaps the cutter-outer set him aside for a particular occasion or person. Perhaps he or she couldn’t stand the thought of giving him away. Or, perhaps, he represented a particular beloved pet.

Of course, we’ll never know. But, he is very handsome, and, now he’s here with his ephemeral brethren where he seems quite content.

Mastery of Design: A Diamond Hairpin, 1830-1840

Butterfly Hairpin
Diamonds, Silver, Gold
1830-1840
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Set in silver on a gold frame, rose-cut and brilliant diamonds sparkle in the form of a butterfly. This magnificent diamond hairpin was part of the early Nineteenth Century’s Romantic movement and its reliance on natural forms and designs.

Very often, until the rise of platinum and white gold, diamonds were set in silver prongs so that yellow or rose gold setting would not distract from the diamond or alter its color.