Mark GrayNov 20, 2022
These are marginal drawings made by the young Jane Vavasor Durrel (1794-1871), granddaughter of an #OxfordUniversity Vice Chancellor and the daughter of the rector of #Mongewell in Oxfordshire, in about 1815. They show people heading off to market in the rural world of #Regency #Oxfordshire, spied by the not far beyond teenage Jane from behind. Not great art, not important art - but somehow a snapshot of daily life we'd otherwise have missed.
Show threadSarah Drew

@markgray92 These are charming - what's the source?
I think we miss a lot of #Regency #SocialHistory by ignoring these amateur artists. Just because they aren't doing Important Art, they're overlooked. I'm a huge fan of #GeorgeScharf (sample here - https://bityl.co/FmIl - but TBH it's all totally wonderful) and #DianaSperling (https://ggle.io/5NTN). There are probably 100 other similar, who just aren't fêted.

@histodons

drawing | British Museum

Group of men working; five men employed in fitting and laying gas pipes, while a labourer stands near resting on his shovel. 1834 Graphite Verso: Part of a water pipe Graphite

The British Museum
Nov 21, 2022 at 9:37pmWeb
Show threadMark GrayNov 21, 2022

@SarahDrew @histodons The source is literally a box of drawings and other materials produced by Jane I picked up in Flask Lane, Hampstead, London at an antiques dealer about 8 years ago.

I love Scharf too. He documents the everyday reality of English life of the period so vividly.