Reminiscing “Lover’s Eyes” on Valentine’s Day

What if we could give a part of oneself, in some miniature form, to the one we love and adore without revealing our identify to the rest of the world? What if that miniature form is something you can wear everyday like a ring, pendant, brooch or a charm? Something that remains close to you, that you wear, hold it to your bosom and kiss at will. That is what the lovers in the late 18 century to early 19 century did. Since Valentine’s Day is perfect for such a theme, I am sharing with you a tiny tale of romance, intrigue, saccharine days and the lovelorn aftermath. However, the story mainly is about the ornament that held the affection decades in the Georgian era though.

Artwork : Alexis Zambrano

lovers eyes art print illustration

Image: KatieConsiders.com

Prince wooing a commoner – A Cinderella-like tale

It is said to have started when Prince of Wales, love struck, relentlessly wooed Mrs. Maria Fitzherbert to marry him which was preposterous at the time considering that she was twice- widowed and a Catholic while Prince of Wales who later went on the become King George IV was a Royal Anglican. To escape from his wooing, Maria even moved to France but the Prince, like any hot-blooded-star-struck-lover, wouldn’t give up, sending gifts and even making a suicide attempt. He then commissioned Richard Cosway, a miniaturist, to paint his eye and sent it to her as a token of love along with a marriage proposal. The gift to her astonishment was an intent “eye” painted for Maria’s eye alone making it the subject of her gaze while she herself became the subject of the Prince’s gaze. It is an intimate gesture – the gaze. Mrs. Maria Fitzherbert invariably couldn’t resist and succumbed to the wooing. Later he presented her with another eye miniature and it was said that she returned in kind. They married against all odds only to later move apart due to the clutching circumstances of the time shortly after their union. Their marriage was declared illegal and the Prince remarried his cousin, Catherine or a German Princess of which I am not sure. Much ado about nothing was what was left, I guess!  

Convex glass backing with Prince of Wales hair plumes-Dr David Skier Collection

Image: VanityFair.com

Eyes catch Fire

When this story wafted into the country, the rich modelled their love following the Prince’s suit. There was a surge of such tokens being exchanged as rings, brooches, pendants, toothpick cases, charms etc. It apparently became fashionable. The painting or the eye miniature itself was no larger than the nail of the pinky finger (some from a few millimeters to around two centimeters) and it was encrusted in rubies, pearls, garnets, turquoise, diamond depending on the wealth of the lover and of course the sentiment. It sometimes even contained a lock of hair. These romantic keepsakes were in vogue from 1780s to 1820s when they would bestow it upon their paramours keeping their identity a secret from the inquisitive eyes. However, ironically, declaring that they were having an affair leaving the rest of the world to question and wonder.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Eye Miniatures or the “Lover’s Eyes”

The term “Lover’s Eyes” was coined by a New York based antique collector, Edith Weber.  It is estimated that only around a 1000 exists today. They were painted in watercolour or gouache on ivory.

“Treasuring the Gaze: Intimate Vision in Late Eighteenth-Century Eye Miniatures” by Hanneke Grootenboer provides new insights into the art of miniature painting and the genre of portraiture.

Image: HauteMacabre,com

Aside

During the reign of Queen Victoria the painted eye miniature gradually took a different connotation becoming the memorabilia of the dear departed. The pearls surrounding it indicated the tears. The coral warded off the evil, garnets symbolized friendship, diamond signified the wealth, obviously. Sir Charles Ross, the Royal Miniaturist, was commissioned to make such objects of affection during her era of reign.

Mourning motif 

Image: VanityFair.com

Eye Miniature, early 19th century-Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Today

Dr. David Skier is an eye surgeon from Birmingham who was so fascinated by these miniatures that along with his wife, Nan Skier, started collecting “Lover’s Eyes”. They held an exhibition of their unique collection of around 100 pieces, one of the largest collections, at the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama in 2012.

Dr. David Skier Collection, Birmingham Museum of Art

Image: VanityFair.com

Contemporary Artists

Fee Greening, Lorraine Loots, Mab Graves, Celeste Mogador, Sarah Hendler, Alexis Zambrano etc. are some of the known contemporary artists who have explored the eye miniatures.

Personal Statement

Here’ my version of eye miniatures of my daughter and my beloved.

My daughter's eye -Right eye

Beloved-right eye

What do you think of the “Lover’s Eyes”? Would you be interested in such a keepsake, a token of love?

If your interest is piqued and if you would like to own/gift such a painted memorabilia do send me an email (mail.huesnshades@gmail.com) with a picture of your beloved’s (left/right) eye and I shall message you the terms.

Hope you enjoyed this post. Do let me know your thoughts about this post in the comments.

 

Food illustration

Food illustration.

What comes to your mind immediately? Art or food? Are you a foodie? Do you draw food? Have you ever tried food art? Arranging the table, taking pictures and then drawing elaborate servings?

I started food illustration fairly recently when I came across 'Still here still life' (they host a weekly challenge) though I had been collecting some food pictures for some time now. And no, I wouldn’t call myself a great foodie. Drawing/painting food is actually fun – the volumes, the textures, the arrangement of varied pots and pans and wares, the patterns, the play of light. A delicious still life!

My eating habits are not one to follow. I eat to live that’s how it is as of now though none would think so looking at me. There’s a common-tease back at my family home that no one needs to worry over not having enough food if I drop by unexpectedly during lunch-time. "You could just scrape the pan and that’s enough for her!" I don’t enjoy the joke though (J). I eat part meals and I can’t have a proper quantity at a time. I have problem with my digestion since I have undergone cholecystectomy (it’s nothing serious but refer dictionary, in case J). Considering all that, I find food illustration fun. I can’t seem to keep up the weekly challenge though. I just intervene now and then when possible.

Are you into watching culinary shows? My daughter and I used to enjoy it particularly a TV channel called Fatafeat (which is perhaps obsolete now) that telecasted food roller-coaster rides of Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, Giada de Laurentiis, Ina Garten (very own Barefoot Contessa) and many more. Later, closer home Madhur Jaffery (our very own ‘Godmother’ of Indian cooking), Tarla Dalal, Sanjeev Kapoor, Vikas Khanna, Aditya Bal and so on. Recently it’s my neighbour (from Bangladesh) Nadiya Hussain (on Netflix).

For one who isn’t a foodie, you may think this is far too much of a list! I used to enjoy cooking and feeding, it has dampened these days. Like experimenting in art, I used to experiment with new recipes too after watching my favourite shows of the said celebrity chefs.

All that said, in case you wish to check it out for the pleasure of seeing all the wonderful food arrangements, the food itself, variations in the submissions etc. do check out - Stillherestilllife

Here’s a couple of illustrations from the weeks I had joined:

(images 1, 2, 4 and 5 - gouache and 3 - sharpies)

my first food illustration with Still here still life

Any favourites here?

Digital Collages and a poem

I have often being told that I should stick to one medium and one way of painting as that would be easy to define and create a signature style of one's own. But I can't seem to be do that, I have tried many times and failed, miserably to my amusement. One of the reasons could be because I am self-taught I find everything fascinating. I love working on multiple mediums; that holds my interest. Most of the techniques and mediums I come across and that I find appealing I wish to try it - just try it at least once. Also I have phases like for acrylic, watercolour, glass painting, pen and ink and so on. The current one is a mix of water colour and gouache. I have been in love with gouache since I found them. I also like to mix and use materials, maybe I can term them as mixed media though I don't use papers, fabric, found objects etc. on it (I intend to but just not now).

The ones in this post are digital collages of my different watercolours and gouache paintings with one or two images. It was actually a submission for a well-known exhibition that was held recently here in Dubai but, unfortunately for me, were rejected. 

The last one is a poem that I wrote recently. As many of you who follow my work may know that I like to paint as well as write.

Welcome to all the new faces who are visiting today. My first post this year, hoping the best for everyone.

Details of some digital collages and a poem:

Do you have such phase or do you stick on to one technique? Do you experiment? What are your thoughts on it?

We're Islands - a series of watercolours from 'IGNITE-from within the confines-'

Art is a journey sometimes moving into the core, sometimes outside the line, sometimes along the periphery but unsure of where the lines actually are. Nonetheless, each one undertakes a journey of one’s own since there’s no choice; one simply can’t choose inertia. 

Art, in any form, breathes life into me; I find it quite meditative and reflective. “We’re Islands” is a series I started in March when the lockdown began. It is not necessarily a commentary on Covid19 but what I felt during the lockdown confined within the four walls in a foreign land away from the family. I have used watercolours to capture the “fluidity” of the moment; it was not a conscious, pre-meditated choice though. Choosing the medium is always intuitive. some times it does depend on what I choose as a subject. I have also used polychromos, inktense pencils, white gel pen and Pitt pen to achieve the desired effect. I apply washes and then work on layers to get the raw-rustic effect instead of the refined look. I have chosen a limited palette here, a couple of warm and cool colours as I like the mix of both; bright, eye-catchy, palpable colours in most of them to suggest a distinctive, dreamlike introspective emotional state or “mindscapes” as I call them from a strong female presence and perspective.

We're Islands-1

30x40cm, watercolour with polychromos, inktense and pitt pen

The limitless mind in general and the inner workings of the feminine in particular captivates me the most. Most of my works are autobiographical. Myths, dreams, people and their tales, the emotions and the unbridled feelings kindle my creative juices. The protagonists create parallel realms and enjoy detachment, solitude but they are rarely alone. There’s melancholic melody and are deeply reflective of their emotional states; exuding a sense of passivity but hopeful and optimistic. The interconnectivity of man and nature, the subtle rhythms that beat through the spine of the environment, the invisible thread that ties us all even when man fails to realize it, is what I like to stress. There’s duality as we are complex beings. 

We're Islands-2

15x15cm each, watercolour with polychromos, inktense and pitt pen

We're Islands-3

30x40cm, watercolour with polychromos, inktense and pitt pen

My works tend to delve deep within the self, interspersing it with what I hear and/or view from the outside world. How a situation or news hits me is what is reflected in my works. They are stories in layers. At times, there're health instances that quite disturbs my days and processes and overcoming it forms other layers as well. Isolation is nothing new to artists, we actually nurture on it, and yet I craved for home, to be with my family. I suddenly felt trapped, we became units/compartments within the home where one was for school, one for office and I squeezed in between doing art for my own self and sanity. 

We're Islands-4

15x15cm each, watercolour with polychromos, inktense and pitt pen

We're Islands-5

30x40cm. watercolour with polychromos, inktense and pitt pen

“We’re Islands” is an ongoing series. It showcases this external and internal turmoil, implications, suffering, and conflict while the lamp of hope is still lambent.

My greatest inspirations are T K Padmini, Amrita Sher-Gil, Paula Rego, Kathe Kollwitz, Frida Kahlo, Lee Krasner, Hilma af Klint, Alice Neel, Paul Klee, Edward Hopper and Aleah Chapin, Lisa Brice and many more.

It is the very thought of not being in inertia, as mentioned earlier, that helped me shape this brainchild of mine - IGNITE-from within the confines-, inspired me to conceptualize and curate the exhibition at this time; one of my pet projects that I was harbouring for a long time finally found light with a group of amazing artists and poets. Though I started it on an impulse to do something worthwhile during this time of confinement, it grew profound each day until I managed a team of 16 and then we set sail. Each day since then had been a learning experience for me - visualizing, organizing, preparing, coordinating, conveying and all the elements that went with an online event. 

Find the post in IGNITE blog with the poet link and the Art & Poem segment. To read more about the exhibition, please check ABOUT and CURATOR'S NOTE.