#Fin de siècle

[yesterdaysprint]

Enfin Seule! (Finally Alone) by Jean-Louis Forain in Le Courrier Français, ca. 1890

[vertigo1871]

Ephraim Moses Lilien (1874-1925), The harpist

[sardosycserokyric]

Repose, John White Alexander (American), 1895

[thefugitivesaint]

Giulio Aristide Sartorio (1860-1932), ''Sibilla; poema drammatico in quattro atti'' (Sibyl. Dramatic poem in four acts), 1922 Source

This is just a selection of the relief etchings that Sartorio did for the above work. A more detailed accounting of the book (in Italian) can be read here.

[imaginal-ai]

"The Kiss, Reimagined"

(The Kiss…Reimagined Series: 0003)

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[periodinteriors]

Olga Kotchetova, Intérieur de salon, c. late 19th century, watercolor and gouache.

[figcatlists]

Decadent literature chart

Decay, beauty, and everything in between! This is a selection from my list of 90 alluring and disquieting works of literary decadence.

[clove-pinks]

La vie au pôle nord, advertisement by Louis Lucien Faure, 1890s.

[choisyleconin]

Franz von Bayros, he dies 100 years ago.

[evilhorse]

Poison Ivy #22 (Frank Cho Variant Cover)

[arthistoryanimalia]

René Lalique was born #OTD (6 April 1860 - 1 May 1945). Since it's also still #BatAppreciationWeek, here are a few of Lalique's many bats!

1. bat anklet c.1898-9; gold, enamel, antique & rose diamond, opal 2. bat ring c.1899; silver, enamel, moonstone, gold both Musée des Arts décoratifs

Both these pieces were commissioned as gifts for American writer Natalie Clifford Barney (1876-1972), who was openly lesbian; bats were a Fin de siècle symbol of homosexuality. But they were also popular Art Nouveau motifs thanks to Japonisme. Here is another example:

3. Ring c.1901, gold, blue enamel, sapphire

And another, this one paired with another popular Art Nouveau animal:

4. "Butterflies and Bats" pocketwatch, c. 1899-1900; gold, enamel, moonstone.Via Christie's (sold in 2002 for US$207,500)

[roses--and--rue]

S I N

Franz von Stuck

[vertigo1871]

Henri Ottevaere (1870-1944), Le Jardin d'Eden, 1901. Tryptich

[resplendentoutfit]

Edwardian Fashion: The S-Bend Silhouette

The curious S-shape figure of the Edwardian woman was achieved by wearing an undergarment invented by a physician in the later part of the 19th century and marketed as a "health corset". The S-bend or straight-front corset sat lower on the body and was characterized by a rounded, forward leaning torso with hips pushed back. It was thought that because this new corset, unlike the Victorian styles, alleviated pressure on the abdomen and internal organs, that it promoted a healthier posture. Unlike many fashion trends in history, it would take several years for the S-bend to become a fashion statement unrelated to health concerns, reaching the height of its popularity between 1904-1905. It was coloquely referred to as the "pouter pigeon" silhouette.

S-bend corset • V & A, London | The look achieved.

Fashion illustrations tended to exaggerate the S-bend silhouette. It's likely that many women achieved a less severe shape while still maintaining a fashionable appearance.

Day dress • Wool crepe/silk taffeta • 1902-04 • FIDM Museum

Sources:

• FIDM Museum

• Fashion History Timeline (fit.nyc)

• Julia Bennet (juliabennet.com)

[greencheekconure27]

Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Gringoire in 'The Ballad Monger', c.1912

Charles A. Buchel (1872–1950)

University of Bristol Theatre Collection

[imaginal-ai]

"Leopold" (0002)

(More of The Leopold Portrait Series)

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