I came across this beautiful painting the other day - The Governess by Richard Redgrave and here's the story behind this painting.
Richard Redgrave was a Victorian Era artist. He depicted a lot Victorian life-styles into his paintings, therefore, his art became much of a study for us to learn about the mysterious era.
During the Victorian Era, the rich usually lived upstaris while the servants lived below. However, there were yet a group of people who lived an awkward position in the Victorian household. They were the nannies, house keepers, and the governesses. There were neither a servant nor yet a member of the host family.
A governess is a girl, lady, or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In this case, we see the governess in her black dress. She holds a letter informing a death in her family which she was forced to leave behind for her current job. Behind her is a piano. The title on the music sheets is titled "Home Sweet Home." There is a biscuit not yet finished on the table. As she mourns silently by herself, one single teardrop falls onto her face. The kids playing in the background are totally oblivious to the pain she's going through.
The painting was done in 1844.
No comments:
Post a Comment