Fairies in Victorian Art

by Christopher Wood

In an utilitarian age, of all other times, it is a matter of grave importance that fairy tales should be respected. Charles Dickens The golden age of fairy painting lasted between 1840-1870 when fairies found expression in most of the Victorian arts - paintings, illustration, literature, theatre, ballet and music. The Victorians wanted desperately to believe in fairies because they represented a way to escape the intolerable reality of living in an unromantic, materialistic and scientific age. Fairy painting had a strong literary background. The books of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen perfected the Victorian consciousness. Shakespeare was an even more important source in particular with The Tempest and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Another influence was the Victorian obsession with the supernatural, spiritualism and the unseen world.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History, Folklore, Fairy Tales

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Christopher Wood was Britain's leading writer and broadcaster on the subject of Victorian art. For thirteen years he worked for the London auction house Christie's, becoming director of nineteenth-century paintings.

Reviews

[Snail in Danger (Sid) Nicolaides · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has a very nice selection of fairy pictures, and info about the painters. However, the on-page labeling is sometimes confusing or non-existent. Good, but not as impressive as The Pre-Raphaelites.

[Mark Woollacott · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of beautiful pictures of fairies. It features work by John Anster Fitzgerald, Sir Joseph Noel Paton, Edward Robert Hughes, William Blake and many others. It is a wonderful collection of images, created by people with incredible artistic vision!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nearly 5 stars. Checked it out from the library for a paper I'm writing, and I do very much want to buy it for myself, but it's not quite there to be marked 5, which I reserve for my absolute favorite books.
Very lovely overview, and high quality images in color throughout.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad book. The subject matter could fill several volumes, and of course you are left wanting more, but the pictures are lovely, and the text captivating.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some Stunners!