A new addition to my family has concentrated my thoughts on babies. I know that not everyone is interested in babies, but stay with me, I am not going to inflict the non-family minded of you with my family pics ! But do consider that we all have one thing in common, and that is, that we were all once babies, and that we have all survived infancy. So I will be looking at some creativity that is around infants, and the creativity of songs and poems and games. And those of you who know me well will know that my knitting needles have been Very creative, and now that I know the new addition is a girl, first girl after four boys, the sewing machine will be working as well. Much to my astonishment, my parents received a card when I was born (I think it was the only one !) from my mother's brother and sister-in-law. It was passed on to me and I will keep it as inside my mother had put the card saying how much I weighed (seven and a half pounds). In turn I have kept all the cards (many) that I received when my two were born, and the design and wording of the cards really, really dates them. What do you think ? Late 1970s Early 1980s. Both of my girls were born with a good head of Dark hair, not blonde, but these "cute" little cards really do fit into a particular date and style of design. So when I do eventually have a clear out my girls will get their cards (along with all their school reports!) Some creative person designed the cards, others went and chose these creations as being suitable to convey messages, I have kept them as being something of their time and to remind me of their babyhood. So how have babies and infants stimulated creativity ? And how has that creativity changed over time ? There is a huge and enormous market for consumer goods aimed at babies and infants and I am often quite perplexed at all the "things" new parents seem to need when we made do with none of them. Then there are other things I thought essential which are now frowned upon (playpens). Looking at art which depicts infants, when did the depiction of small human beings change from a record that they existed to actual art for the aesthetic reason ? The Graham Family by William Hogarth [1697 -1764] on the ArtUk website and at the National Gallery in London. A delightful record of the children with lovely little details in the background, such as the cat on the back of the boy's chair looking at the bird in the cage. The little boy is turning the handle of a musical box. The toy on the floor, the expensive clock in the background on the left. The painting is an important record, and notes on the website of the National Gallery say that the smallest child had died by the time the painting was made. This painting known as the Cholmondley Sisters, and is at the Tate Britain gallery and has lots of "unknowns" surrounding it, both artist and sitters. However, it is dated to around 1600 - 1610 and belonged to the family called Cholmondley, and is thought to be of two sisters, or at least two women (could be sisters-in-law) who shared the same birthday and gave birth on the same day. They are supposed to be sitting up in bed. Which raises the point, are they wearing suitable clothes for newly delivered mums sitting up in bed ? Would you really be wearing your most expensive lace and jewels when small infants are likely to leak at both ends ? But it is a record that they existed. It is also a reminder that the newly delivered mother stayed in bed for some time after the birth, at least three weeks. During this time she would have felt very cut off from the outside world so her women friends, or God Siblings, sisters in God, would visit her to take tasty things and chat. This was called a "Gossipping", from whence we get the term gossip. Samuel Pepys mentioned when his wife went to a gossipping. After two or three weeks the Gossips would celebrate the mother's Upsitting. So perhaps these Cholmondeley sisters were at last allowed to sit up in bed. It is also suggested that the infants were wearing christening gowns, they are certainly richly embroidered. This delightful picture is by Emma Brownlow [1832 - 1905] and is called The Christening and is in the Foundling Museum in London. It is a record of the work of the Foundling Hospital in rescuing babies and children. All the little nursemaids are carrying a newly deposited child to the baptism service. Aren't they sweet ? Of course it is meant to make you all go "Ahhhh" and then make a subscription to the charity. So here is art as a Record, and publicity and emotional currency to make you dig into your purse. We were fortunate to have Peter Higginbotham come to our family history group recently to give a talk about Children's Homes, and the Foundling Hospital set up by Thomas Coram was one of the first and most important. See www.childrenshomes.org.uk Peter has done a huge amount of research into the organisations that looked after children all over the country. This picture is by Albert Anker [1831 - 1910], a Swiss painter and I just LOVE his paintings. He specialised in portraying children, and this one is of a Nursery, I don't know what type of nursery. I bought several postcards of his paintings a long time ago when I was in Switzerland. Note the solitary child eating alone near the door. What had it done ? Also note the very large pot of whatever food it was on the table and the interesting headscarf of the nursemaid. Look for Ankers paintings, they are lovely, but very much of the 19th century sentimental school of portraiture. I also like the way the nurse has wedged the children in between the table and the back of the form. Do children still sit on forms ? This picture is by Pieter Bruegel the elder [ 1525 - 1569] and is called Children's Games. Lots and lots of games being played. Many have commented on this, is it a record of all the games known to Bruegel ? Is it an allegory on the time ? That the world was full of people playing games ? whatever, it is a delight and is in the Kunthistoriches Museum, Vienna. There is a detailed breakdown of all the games being played on en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_Games_(Bruegel) Do have a look at it and see if you recognise any games. And how games have changed. We have now got to the time when traditional games are being forgotten as all children now play electronic games. This is So sad, especially for a grandma like me who is really very old-fashioned. However, some of the old games have been recorded and if you look at the British library website they have audio clips of Skipping Rhymes - can you remember them ? You had a long rope with two people to turn the rope and the other children ran in and out skipping ? Have a look at this website and see if you remember them. bl.uk/playtimes/articles/skipping-games Another artist who painted children, not as a record of particular children, but to depict interesting scenes, was Frederick Daniel Hardy [ 1827 - 1911], this picture is at Bantock House, and on the ArtUk website, as are several of his paintings. Look them up. The detail in this one is lovely, it is called Washday, and I can remember how harassed my mother got on Washday, it took ALL DAY, so at least these children are being "helpful" in their own little way even if they are only washing dolly's clothes. Were they singing "Here we go round the mulberry bush?" which I still sing to small grandchild as we wash his hands, face, clean teeth etc ? and you can add verses for washing clothes. I will be singing nursery rhymes for some time to come, and am keenly aware of how the terminology of them is outside the understanding of the modern child, but the rhythm and rhyme are what is important. This picture is also at the Tate Britain and is by John Everett Millais [ 1829 - 1896] and is called The Order of Release 1746. Full of emotion. I include it because of the small child. The dog is lovely, so glad to be re-united with its master. But the face of the wife / mother, what has she done to gain the release? How far has she carried the sleeping child? All the weight of the world is in her face. The presence of the sleeping infant adds an extra depth to the situation. So artists have been creative in depicting babies and children for quite different reasons. This next picture is ODD. What do you think ? The artist is Jan Gerritsz van Bronkhorst [1603 - 1661] Dutch artist. A family who had possibly lost many, many children in infancy as the infants in the cradles have not survived. Did the poor woman have triplets ? or did the artist cram them into three cradles to save space ? However, she has had at least two who survived. The ship in the background perhaps indicates that the father was a merchant. Whatever the origins of the painting it is a record that, no matter how fragile or how short lived, human life is precious and worthy of recording in some way. The suffering and resignation of the mother, the questioning of the father, all delicately conveyed in this portrait. This picture is available on www.pubhist.com/w9239 Apart from the unhygienic bird cage hung above the child's cradle, this is another lovely painting. The artist is John William Haynes [active 1852 - 1882] and is in the York Art gallery. It is called The Mother. Well dear, if the baby is asleep either you should be putting your feet up and having a shut-eye yourself, or getting on with some jobs ! But perhaps she is singing a lullaby. "Rock-a-bye baby, on the tree top" which connects one generation to another backwards through time.
So, forgive me if I have indulged in baby things this month, but the arrival of a new little human being is something of great joy, and a reminder that once others looked at us and wondered who we would take after, whose nose and chin we had, and what we would make of our our lives. Each person is unique and to be remembered and celebrated.
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AuthorThis is where you can share creativity with me. I believe that everyone has something creative within them, and it is a joy to find ways of being creative. Blogging is NEW to me, so here goes ..... Archives
January 2024
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