“Every nerve I had feared him, and every morsel of flesh on my bones shrank when he came near.”
(Jane Eyre)
Regency dress. Picture found here.
Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) by Rob Santry on Flickr.
Side Pike Colours by Phil Buckle
Photo by Nishe (Magdalena Lutek).
Photo by Nishe (Magdalena Lutek).
Picture found here.
Picture found here.
Photo by Stefany Alves.
Picture found here.
Haddon Hall, picture found here.
“Perhaps
we may meet each other in a dream.”
(Marina Tsvetaeva)
photo by Natalia Drepina
Photo by Julia Starr.
Photo found here.
Photo found here.
Photo found here.
Photo by Laura Makabresku.
photo found here.
Picture by Nishe.
I started writing a new story. Short story, but still haven’t finished it, probably never will, that’s how it goes with me. The initial idea came to my mind in October, but a few nights ago, lying in my bed, and ‘thinking about life and thinking about death, and neither one particularly appealed to me’ (The Smiths), the story idea occurred to me again so I felt compelled to write it down the following day. It’s awfully charming and tiresome at the same time when you intend to sleep but your mind is full of ideas. Then I’m usually too tired, or too lazy, as you wish, to get up and write my story so I just take a few notes so I don’t forget it. I’m sure those of you who write stories would agree with me. Yeah, I wouldn’t mind seeing other people’s ‘story aesthetics’, so if you do that sort of thing, be sure to let me know. Hope you enjoy the pictures.
I am quite absorbed in my story right now. I started writing it last spring, then I stopped, and I found it rather difficult to start writing it again. I forgot some of the character so I had to read my tale again, and I decided to put all the pictures related to the story here, in one post, aiming to get my inspiration back. Luckily, after seeing all these paintings, dresses, fashion plates and photos all in once place, I recaptured the spirit of my story and successfully continued writing it. In fact, writing the story gives me more amusement than living my own life.
I often lie in bed at night and can not sleep because the story occupies my mind; I see my characters dancing and writing letters, I hear them talking, I see what they’re wearing, I hear them playing Chopin; those pictures are so vivid in my mind that most of the times I just write what I see.
1829-30. Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows – John Constable
The beauty and value of this painting were overlooked because it was thought that a fan had painted it in homage to the celebrated landscape painter John Constable. However, it was revealed only a few months earlier that this painting was indeed painted by Constable. This is certainly not the reason why this painting allured me, I’d love it even if it was painted by a fan and not Constable himself.
Despite the fact that Constable was a Romantic painter, he did not strive to paint from his imagination which was a habit of all Romanticists, he always painted what he saw but his visions of sweet little cottages, trees, skies and the Salisbury Cathedral which he had painted so many times obviously posses a certain charisma because they haven’t been forgotten even after two centuries. Constable said ‘The world is wide, no two days are alike, nor even two hours; neither were there ever two leaves of a tree alike since the creation of all the world; and the genuine productions of art, like those of nature, are all distinct from each other.‘
First glance at this painting filled me with excitement. I have a great deal of affection for powerful and tranquil landscapes; storms, wild trees, mystical buildings in the background, old ruins… Sky plays an important role in all of Constable’s paintings. Here, it is painted in wild and energetic brushstrokes. Dark and massive clouds seem threatening. Trees look so crooked and strange and the mysterious cathedral in the background, painted in sharp lines and grey tones, only adds to the overall gloomy atmosphere. I started writing my story again and this painting is my main inspiration for describing landscapes.
I am currently writing a story set in 1840s Yorkshire castle. My protagonist, Amelia, always wears dashing dresses, even if a don’t describe them (unfortunately I can’t describe every single dress) but I can show you my favourite 1840s dresses.
I imagined Amelia wearing this dress on a small dinner party for it’s quite casual but still has something glamourus about it; sleeves, detail on the bodice, fabric itself… Besides, I don’t want Amelia to come off as a pompous, spoiled and haughty creature, so she’ll always be wearing simple dresses that show off her natural beauty rather than hide it.
I love this day dress so much that I’d wear it myself! Naturally, the least thing I could was to have my protagonist Amelia wear it, since I can’t. This will be the day dress she’ll be wearing quite often and it really captures the elements and the spirit of the 1840s fashion; the sleeves, lace fichu, plaid fabric. also, notice how the bodice was decorated; well that was popular in England while in France they preferred having slick bodices with no fabric decorations; ruffles or anything.
This beautiful but still simple evening dress Amelia wore to a dinner where she had to be more elegant but still the simplicity and purity of her character can be seen in a choice of dress; simple, white silk evening dress with lace details on the sleeves and the neckline. Amelia decorated her hair with white roses to match the dress and that was her only accessorize.
Since they’ll be more dinners and evening parties, Amelia will have to wear some other dresses but I still want her to wear white silk or satin dresses because they have a golden glare in the light of a candle. The second dress has some nice embroidery on the skirt and intricate lace details on the neckline. Besides white, I think blue and green coloured dresses would suit nicely to Amelia’s pale skin, blue eyes and ash blonde hair.
Though this dress seems kind of odd at first, especially compared to other previous dresses, I can see Amelia wearing it on a more luxurious ball and she really does wear silk shawls very often, not just with evening dresses.
Amelia is randomly walking around the moors where the cold wind blows the crooked willow trees. Though I’ve set my story in August, the weather in Yorkshire is still pretty cold and harsh so Amelia hast to wear a warm cape and dress and also a bonnet to protect her from the wind. This ensemble is very elegant, but still practical. As soon as I saw it I imagined Amelia’s pretty face peeking from the bonnet while her blue eyes, full of liveliness and kindness gazed wistfully at the lonely moors.
Byron's Muse 