Josephine Clofullia, the so-called "bearded lady of Ganeva"
Gosh, plenty to talk about 19th-century design:
Comics, political satire: Examiner and Puck, Caldecott's plates and frogs for Children books, Civil War reportage, Fashion!, Thomas Nast (the nasty), Mackmurdo's Chair (for the history of design), The Pre-raphaelite aesthetic revolution, Victorian design, chromolithography, Madox Brown's Work, Paxton's 1851 Crystal Palace, the great William Morris, Talbot's Pencil of Nature...
Go ahead!
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This week I researched Sir Joseph Paxton’s 1851 Crystal Palace, which at first glance has a noticeably impressive grandeur and exceptional detail, which drew me in immediately. The design of the building is unique within itself, standing at 1,851 feet long, 128 feet high, and created entirely out of cast iron and plate glass. As a cost-effective and engineered triumph, the Crystal Palace was an absolute marvel of its time. The building was completed in 39 weeks, initially created in Hyde Park, London, and later moved to Sydenham Hill in South London. It was the first of the World’s Fair exhibitions, and the profit from that exhibition was used to fund the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Science Museum, and the Natural History Museum. Tragically, the Crystal Palace was destroyed by a fire in 1936, however, its legacy and honor still remain prominent in engineering and design history today.
A topic I enjoyed from last week's lecture was “Puck,” the first successful political satire cartoon in the US. The magazine’s use of colorful images made political issues, sometimes a negative topic, into accessible and engaging talking points. This greatly influenced how people viewed topics such as corporate corruption, monopolies, and the government as a whole. It’s fascinating to think about how graphic design has the ability to be this persuasive, in today’s world; this act of persuasion is often associated with advertising and branding, yet it was taking place in the 19th century. “Puck” proved that images could be just as persuasive as words, an idea which is still relevant in today’s society. Graphic media such as brand advertisements and even online memes owe a lot to the “Puck” cartoons. This made me realize that graphic design isn’t just about aesthetics, it has the power to both inform and persuade the public, challenging the way in which society views the world.
Victorian design is an amalgamation of different ideas and influences that resulted in gaudy, eclectic, and altogether out-of-touch pieces. First, the furniture itself was impractically practical. Serving its primary purpose (being usable furniture) was just as important as its secondary purpose: showing off one's wealth and prestige. The poorer families of the time may have had one or two pieces with Victorian embellishments, but it was generally a style for the bourgeois. Sitting rooms were filled with furniture and decorative elements of the highest quality to give visitors the impression that this was a house of status which had high regard for craftsmanship. The excess of Victorian furniture design also shows a clear dedication to craftsmanship despite the Industrial Revolution that had occurred. It captures a moment in time when automation was growing, yet handcrafted pieces were symbolic and thus still somewhat-commonplace. Today in our post-industrialist society, for the common man convenience and functionality matter more than design and artistry.
As someone inspired by vintage illustrations, I’m especially drawn to Randolph Caldecott’s work. What fascinates me most is his ability to bring animals and objects to life with playful personification, something that mirrors the way children naturally see the world. His frog characters, in particular, are full of charm, depicted in expressive, humanlike poses that feel both imaginative and full of energy. Unlike the stiff, formal illustrations typical of the Victorian era, Caldecott’s work is fluid and dynamic, as seen in Sing a Song for Sixpence (1880) and The House that Jack Built (1878). His elegant yet simple lines, paired with lively watercolor and ink, create warmth and movement that make his illustrations feel alive. By blending imagery and text in a way that enhances storytelling, he redefined children’s book illustration. His legacy continues today through the Caldecott Medal, awarded to artists who capture the same spirit of visual storytelling.
The pre-Raphaelite art movement of the mid-1800s was the most interesting topic to me because it showcases a kind of introspection that seems unfathomable for the time period, through design. They considered the Industrial Revolution's advancements' deep psychological impact and soullessness on humanity and yearned for what life was like before. Society had changed exponentially in mechanical dependency, urbanization, and mass production, which bore convenience and economic growth. However, this also brought on a deep disdain for harsh working conditions, pollution, and monopolized industries taking advantage of the modern worker. Pre-Raphaelites rejected modernity for the sake of recapturing the nostalgia they felt for the pre-machine age by turning the pristine, proper, uniform demands of the Industrial Revolution on its head–emphasizing exaggerated, imperfect, REAL nature. Not the manufactured world that falls short of meaning, seeing the beauty in natural detail.
In retrospect, knowing what we know about the evolving 21st century, I think it’s interesting to make the connection between the pre-Raphaelite mindset and the skepticism that lingers today regarding modern-age technology, specifically the progression of artificial intelligence.
I appreciated learning about the discovery of chromolithography because you can see how it has contributed to a culture of print today. Chromolithography made art more accessible to the middle class and refined details in the image so that not just the wealthy could enjoy fine art in their homes. Today, you see prints of artwork and even exact replicas of famous pieces which came from the internet, department stores, and more in the homes of millions of people. It’s not uncommon to see 10 different people with the same famous work of art hanging on their wall and think nothing of it. This accessibility to fine art and normalization of owning something that is not necessarily commissioned or an original clearly originated when chromolithography gained traction. Of course, we see replicas or prints made today with other mediums, such as computer generation or other electronic mediums, but had the chromolithograph not normalized the culture around replication, the type of art we see in homes today would certainly be different to some extent.
Paxton's 1851 Crystal Palace is a true marvel of architectural innovation and aesthetic brilliance, revolutionizing the use of glass and iron in a larger scale construction project. The building was designed for the Great Exhibition in London, its standard and pre-made component's allowed for a quick and easy assembly and unmatched transparency, flooding the vast interior with natural light in a way never before seen in architecture. The Palace's light but stable construction not only demonstrated the potential of industrial materials but also determined future advances in modernist building, exhibition halls, and greenhouses. Besides its engineering achievements, the Crystal Palace represented progress, cleverness, and the dawn of a new age in design, by challenging architects and engineers worldwide with the proof that beauty and functionality could coexist on a staggering scale.
I absolutely love fashion and learning more about the history of how fashion has developed over time was not something I expected from this class. Historically, fashion was a masculine art (for example Oscar Wilder, a real fashionista), but during the 19th century it shifted to being more feminine. The drivers for this, listed last class, were the industrial revolution, rise of the middle class/bourgeoise, influence of monarchs like Queen Victoria, technological innovations like aniline dyes, the flowing and decorative nature of art at the time, exotic materials due to global trade, and most importantly the women's right movement (which started a demand for less restrictive clothes). I find it odd that such a diverse group of factors could be the collective cause for the change in fashion. It’s funny to think about how different factors can create such dramatic social changes. However, it’s also important to keep in mind that the cause for this change in fashion wasn’t known at the time until it had been analyzed in the future (now). A few years from now the current fashion trends will be analyzed and given multiple causes for why it is the way it is. Everything from the increase in modern architecture to the obsessive use of social media platforms has probably affected our current fashion trends, but only an analysis from the future can really tell.
Thomas Nast was a once-in-a-lifetime satirist, who defined what satire would mean up to the present day, and yet it's still tough to judge his total influence on society at large. Using art to uncover or portray corruption, advocate for social justice or generally just influence the public's opinion was not yet widespread, and it's nigh impossible to imagine a world without his influence. Today's political cartoons and mainstream satire channels (The Onion, SNL, general memes, etc) are all reflective of the groundwork that Thomas Nast has created. It's very easy to believe that politics and its ramifications are all entirely dictated by politicians, but the reality is that the media has always been one of the biggest influences on people's perception of politics. The media at this point has almost entirely adopted Thomas Nast’s satirical and absurdist style to such a degree that it's almost entirely ingrained within the subconscious of the public at large. It's very difficult to evaluate the total degree to which his cartoons have impacted society, as most evaluating the impact of media on someone's opinions and political leanings is nigh impossible to measure. The media has become ingrained into our culture and dictates so much of what we think, but deciding the exact degree is difficult. It's quite possible that Thomas Nast has had as much of an impact on American society as any mainstream politician or president, in spite of the fact that his mark on the political landscape is seldom if ever truly attributed to him.
This week I took a closer look into political satire about the Civil War and how it affected public perception of the war. After further research I learned that a lot of the sketches were made in the field engraved on wood. I found this pretty interesting because when you think about the evolution of printing like we have talked about in class, this is one of the starting points fo live illustration. Two newspapers/magazines that came up in my research were Harper's Weekly and Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper and the way they made the illustrations was sending artists to go to the battlefields and capture the things they saw, then they would come back to the publishing houses and convert the wood engraved drawings into printing material. This acted as "real time coverage" and even though we have a very different idea of what this looks like today it was interesting to learn about what it used to be.
I found Ford Madox Brown’s Work to be a very beautiful painting. I thought that the imagery he used to depict the class situation of the mid-Victorian era was very interesting. In particular, the different kinds of dogs that go along with different social groups, from the homeless dog along the orphans to the hunting breed with the aristocrats. The painting is cluttered, but Brown does a great job of leading the viewers eye through the piece. There is a clear focal point on the working man in the white shirt shoveling dirt. It’s helped created by the artist’s use of light. The working man is the brightest part of the painting, and the surrounding trees create a vignette effect to help make it a focal point. Brown shows every social level packed into one frame and to do this he uses extreme close-up detail which is very fascinating. He uses detail in facial expression to create separation in different groups appearances.
Thomas Nast was one of the most influential political cartoonists of the 19th century. He invented the Democratic Party donkey and the Republican elephant, symbols that remain widely used today. He also helped define the image of Uncle Sam, representing American values, patriotism, and government authority. He even shaped our view of Santa Claus. What makes Nast’s work interesting is that in making cartoons, he showed corruption, most notably against Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall. The illustration I was most drawn to was called “Thomas Nast—I Stand Upon My Record”. This is a self illustration of him standing on a large stack of his own work with his head tilted up, an exaggerated beard, and a strong bold stance symbolizing his huge influence as a political cartoonist as well as a defender of the truth. Thomas Nast influenced the modern day political satire genres including editorial cartoons, comedy news shows, social media memes, and satire journalism.
Steven Constantopes.
This Barnum & Bailey circus poster from the late 1800s is a vibrant and eye-catching example of how the circus used graphic design to attract audiences. The artwork is full of movement and energy, with vibrant colors and an interesting layout designed to draw attention. A female performer stands in the center, striking a dramatic pose in a bright red and black costume, capturing the show's excitement and elegance. The huge, bold wording "THE BARNUM & BAILEY" in red draws attention to the poster and underscores the circus's famed motto, "The Greatest Show on Earth." The background is filled with acrobats and daring stunts, adding depth and making the picture feel alive and intriguing. The art technique combines realism and exaggeration to highlight the actors' remarkable athletic abilities. The inscription at the bottom, "MORE THAN 200 INTERNATIONAL LADY ARTISTS," shows the circus's global appeal and the era's obsession with exotic and unusual performances. This billboard exemplifies how the circus was more than just entertainment; it was a global phenomenon that attracted audiences and influenced popular culture.
Caroline Clarke.
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