Victorian Silhouettes

On the 5th of April, it was suggested by Kate that we "Make Victorian Silhouettes."

"What on earth is a Victorian Silhouette?" said I. A few minutes of googling yielded some pretty interesting information. Turns out that in Victorian England (mid-late 1800s) it became fashionable to get one's silhouette drawn in miniature. A loved one could then carry the silhouette around in their pocket and glance at it sentimentally from time to time.

The upper class could commission silhouettes in ivory or glass; less affluent customers ordered silhouettes on paper or plaster. You can view a few marvelous images of silhouettes here, where I conducted my Learning About.

I had a blast making my silhouettes. I fetched some black construction paper for the silhouettes themselves and decided I would paste them on translucent tracing paper so that the light could shine through.

First, I tried to make a Victorian-era-looking newspaper carrier:

Unfortunately I forgot to give him a mouth.

 

For my second Victorian Silhouette I decided to make GORDI!

 And for resemblance-checking:

 

Personally, I'm a little bummed that this form of art is no longer as prevalent as it used to be. I love the way it can capture the shape of the person while still leaving so much to the imagination. It's simple, but I think powerful also. A fair few artists do, however, continue to make and sell silhouettes like these.

 

And on April 6th, Kate and I each went without a computer! Tough in a way, but also wonderful.

 

Hoping all is well in your worlds,

Jimmy & Kate