Written by Jenny Cope, Museum Futures Trainee
I am thrilled to have been able to create my first mini collection for The Atkinson. The theme of Valentine’s Day is a lovely topic to begin with and I wanted to tell a story as we move through 12 artworks from our collection. Prints are available to purchase online from our Art UK Shop, just in time to arrive for your Valentine!
- Roses by Marcus C. Stone (1840–1921). Atkinson Art Gallery Collection.
- Who Wins? by Vittorio Reggianini (1858–1938). Atkinson Art Gallery Collection.
- A Rose by Henry Guillaume Schlesinger (1814–1893). Atkinson Art Gallery Collection.
The first painting is Roses, these white roses, in my story, represent true love. Love can bloom out of anywhere, not always how you expect, but always to be treasured. Next comes Who Wins?, fantastic title! In my interpretation a probably well-meaning but slightly arrogant young man is trying, with some success, to chat up two best friends. They are more flattered and taken with this man than perhaps they should be. He sees himself as a prize to be won when in my opinion he will always be the ‘winner’ of this evening of flirtation. However, our next portrait seems to answer the question posed in this works title. We see the dark-haired girl has been given A Rose. She looks happy to have the red rose and even smugly amused to hold the attention of the suitor she beat her friend to.
- Happy Is the Bride by James Hayllar (1829–1920). Atkinson Art Gallery Collection.
- Waiting by William Henry Longmaid (1835–1919). Atkinson Art Gallery Collection.
- Italian Peasants by George Wells (active 1880–1894). Atkinson Art Gallery Collection.
Happy is the Bride, and maybe she is, a whirlwind romance perhaps? But, it seems to me that all is not right with this wedding scene. No one looks very happy to me. The father of the groom looks utterly ashamed, as though he knows somehow no good will come from this union or else he doesn’t trust his son not to break this woman’s heart. Then we come to Waiting. To me, she is waiting for this marriage to be all that was promised to her, she is waiting for happiness and true love to come back into her life, waiting for her husband to notice she is unhappy. By the time they become Italian Peasants though she is done with waiting. I just love the sardonic contempt on her face, as her husband is clearly unaware of most things as shown by his expression too. He is unaware of her unhappiness and dissatisfactions, he also seems to have no clue that no one wants to listen to him play the recorder!
- Disappointment by John Haynes-Williams (1836–1908). Atkinson Art Gallery Collection.
- Katie’s Letter by Haynes King (1831–1904). Atkinson Art Gallery Collection.
- The Love Letter by William Baxter Collier Fyfe (1836–1882). Atkinson Art Gallery Collection.
Our heroine has suffered Disappointment and cannot bear it any longer. She must think of a way out of her situation. She looks back to her life before, who is there for her now? Who can always be relied upon to be true? So, she decides to write a letter Katie’s Letter. It is her one last hope, a bid for freedom, independence, happiness, understanding and love. Who is the one person who truly understood her? Who never failed to make her happy and always noticed her? The best friend she ‘won’ the man from. That friend receives The Love Letter, still living at home, waiting for her. She too has a life to escape from, domestic drudgery and the prying eyes of younger sisters. Both women know they must be together.
- The Bride by Thomas Martine Ronaldson (1881–1942). Atkinson Art Gallery Collection.
- A Lady with Roses by Raffaelle Giannetti (1832–1916). Atkinson Art Gallery Collection.
- In the Venusberg by John Collier (1850–1934). Atkinson Art Gallery Collection.
Our fair lady, having never married before is determined to be the most elegant, the most beautiful, the most radiant: The Bride and so she is. In her face I see such an understated smile that its almost not there. This is a woman of great composure brimming with pride as she finally weds her love – Lady with Roses The dark-haired lady finally has her white roses, her true love and happiness. She’s also chosen an excellent outfit for the occasion complete with bowtie! Finally, In the Venusberg I think we see the true answer to the question posed at the beginning of our story, ‘Who Wins?’. We see our newlyweds rejoicing and basking in their victory of being their true selves together and the man kneeling at their feet. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Written by Jenny Cope, Museum Futures Trainee
Posted on 1 February 2021 under General news