What beautiful paintings, thank you. And I am driving up to Scotland in a few weeks with my two small children and have added Calke Abbey as a perfect stopping point (we need many!)
Gosh, Tongue is pretty much at the end of the road/remote. (I can get away with saying this since I'm Scottish). Thank you for the introduction to another artist and her beautiful work. I'm drawn by her use of green, particularly that greenish light right on the horizon. It's something I've only noticed in the north of Scotland, the north of Canada, and Scandinavia. It has an otherworldly quality to it, in the sense of C S Lewis's 'Northernness' which he described in 'Surprised by Joy': "Pure “Northernness” engulfed me: a vision of huge, clear spaces hanging above the Atlantic in the endless twilight of Northern summer, remoteness, severity… and almost at the same moment I knew that I had met this before, long, long ago…"
I enjoyed Longbourn very much, especially the revelation about Hill.
On housemaids and housekeepers, I recently went to an Arts Society lecture on 'The Housekeeper's Tale', which followed the lives of 3 housekeepers. Absolutely fascinating - they ran the household budget, which in the case of large houses could run into millions in today's money, had charge of all the female staff who were often more numerous than the men, and were paid a fraction of what the butler, with lesser duties, was paid. There was quite a bit about the subterranean working conditions and what it did to their mental let alone physical health. No wonder Lord Curzon is reputed to have asked, when seeing some British soldiers bathing in the sea during WW1, "How is it that I have never been informed that the lower orders have such white skins?"
Thank you, Alison. Longbourn was a real surprise. The cover of my copy doesn't do it justice and probably why it was left on the shelf or so long. It is beautifully written. Have you read anything else by her?
I was imagining a happy ending with the rude auctioneer apologizing profusely and granting you the drawing for an even lower price. Such is the pining for a better world which I do a lot lately as an American. I was a paid subscriber at one time but diverted funds to the political struggle for decency here in our fractured nation. Btw, though not a fan of his (yes I was a Princess Diana lover), I adored King Charles’ speech during his visit this week. Thank you for the delightful escapes you give Deborah I will one day be a paid subscriber again.
Thank you very much, Maureen. Sadly an apology was forthcoming... I was very unsure about King Charles' visit but thought the speech was excellent too - and just subtle enough. Your support was greatly appreciated and am very glad you enjoy these posts.
Morwena’s drawings & painting do have a luminosity and an almost child like form to them and as you say Deborah- they give hints of conversations & actions just “off stage” from the picture frame.
Lovely. The paintings seem to go with her name. Please, Excuse me, interrupting. Time is short. Say NO to Digital ID. Digital ID is not about proving who you are. Digital ID is about fixing you in a system of control
Thanks very much for this introduction Deborah - what an interesting life, lovely paintings (and colours) and a beautiful name too! I really feel for you about the auction, that must have been so frustrating. Also interesting to hear your nan’s story - how lovely that you’ve got her tin trunk in your studio xx
Thank you, Amy. I love her paintings and wish I could have shown better reproductions. It is a very ordinary tin trunk and no doubt one of many that were made for the purpose. It seems incredible that such a young girl should leave home to work like that now with so little schooling too.
Another fascinating article about an artist unknown to me. I shall have to seek out some of her work and see it in the flesh.
How annoying about missing out on the drawing. I once bought a sideboard when the auctioneer missed a phone bid. The disgruntled phone bidder contacted me through the auctioneer and I agreed to sell it at the price I’d paid because I felt he desperately wanted it and I’d really only bought it because it was a bargain. The auctioneer then tried to charge me commission for making the sale! The buyer sent me a beautiful bunch of flowers.
So a happy ending! But the cheeky auctioneer! How lovely that they sent you flowers, it really must have meant a lot to them to have it. I was so cross that he didn't see me and do wonder who has it now!
I wasn’t aware of this remarkable artist, so I enjoyed learning about her enormously! I’m really sorry that you missed out on the sketch though, that was absolutely the worst luck. Calke Abbey is an astonishing place isn’t it? We enjoyed it very much when we went a couple of years ago.
Lovely to hear from you! Isn't her work beautiful? I loved Calke Abbey. It was meant to be a stop-off on the way home and ended up staying all afternoon. I shall definitely return.
It’s one of those places where you could visit many times and still discover something new, isn’t it? I’m very tempted to try and get myself a copy of the artists book you mentioned, I find myself really drawn to her work, the softness and the way she paints her figures - very grateful to you for writing about her, thank you Deborah xx
Another lovely post, although I’m sorry that you missed out on an artwork due to an inattentive auctioneer. How frustrating! Thanks for the Nigel Slater link as well. Have you read his ‘a thousand feasts’ book? Very lovely travel writing memoirs of his to dip into and soothe away the day. 🌷🌷🌷
Oh I felt your frustration at losing out on that sketch. How odd that the auctioneer didn't keep any eye on the audience! But what lovely paintings anyway. Thank you for introducing me to Morwenna Thistlewaite.
I was furious! It was his last lot of the morning, before someone else took over, and think he simply just didn't look. I hope whoever has it loves it! I am so pleased you liked her work and thank you for reading it.
I can see easily why you are so taken by the drawing and the paintings; so am I. The mutedness of the colors lends itself so well to the enigmatic aspects of the work, which reward slow looking. Thank you for introducing her here.
I am glad you like them too and such a pity that she is not better known. I found the process of how she worked fascinating, she seemed to pare down the detail and use colour to lead the eye. Reproductions really don't do them justice.
What beautiful paintings, thank you. And I am driving up to Scotland in a few weeks with my two small children and have added Calke Abbey as a perfect stopping point (we need many!)
Thank you very much. I had intended to only stay an hour, but couldn't pull myself away. Do go if you can and have a lovely trip!
Gosh, Tongue is pretty much at the end of the road/remote. (I can get away with saying this since I'm Scottish). Thank you for the introduction to another artist and her beautiful work. I'm drawn by her use of green, particularly that greenish light right on the horizon. It's something I've only noticed in the north of Scotland, the north of Canada, and Scandinavia. It has an otherworldly quality to it, in the sense of C S Lewis's 'Northernness' which he described in 'Surprised by Joy': "Pure “Northernness” engulfed me: a vision of huge, clear spaces hanging above the Atlantic in the endless twilight of Northern summer, remoteness, severity… and almost at the same moment I knew that I had met this before, long, long ago…"
I enjoyed Longbourn very much, especially the revelation about Hill.
On housemaids and housekeepers, I recently went to an Arts Society lecture on 'The Housekeeper's Tale', which followed the lives of 3 housekeepers. Absolutely fascinating - they ran the household budget, which in the case of large houses could run into millions in today's money, had charge of all the female staff who were often more numerous than the men, and were paid a fraction of what the butler, with lesser duties, was paid. There was quite a bit about the subterranean working conditions and what it did to their mental let alone physical health. No wonder Lord Curzon is reputed to have asked, when seeing some British soldiers bathing in the sea during WW1, "How is it that I have never been informed that the lower orders have such white skins?"
The speaker at the lecture, Tessa Boase, has written a book based on her research: https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/The-Housekeepers-Tale-by-Tessa-Boase/9781781314104?srsltid=AfmBOoob91cAlH5tQedA9DYQ-fw8_X37GqMGUG4xLO1YOQbESukBvX0h
Linda, for some reason my reply won't link! My answer is above and don't want you to think I haven't replied. X
A lovely post. I didn't know Morwenna Thistlethaite's art - lovely, atmospheric work - thank you for the introduction.
Thank you very much, Jenny. Having written it, I realised it was very hard to find images. I hope the little film helps.
It does indeed.
Thank you for sharing this fascinating story about an artist I didn't know!
Thank you very much.
I loved this look at the art and life of Thistlethwaite. I find her work truly beguiling. Thank you!
It is beguiling, isn't it? Thank you Jeffrey.
Another fascinating post, thank you Deborah. Very cross about the lost drawing on your behalf, and I loved Longbourn.
Thank you, Alison. Longbourn was a real surprise. The cover of my copy doesn't do it justice and probably why it was left on the shelf or so long. It is beautifully written. Have you read anything else by her?
No, which is a bit odd, because if I like a writer I usually look out for more.
There are a couple that look interesting, but they all seem very different.
What wonderful paintings. I immediately thought of Barbara Pym book covers - they would be perfect. All those anonymous women...
They would. They have been some ghastly ones published that don't do her justice at all.
I was imagining a happy ending with the rude auctioneer apologizing profusely and granting you the drawing for an even lower price. Such is the pining for a better world which I do a lot lately as an American. I was a paid subscriber at one time but diverted funds to the political struggle for decency here in our fractured nation. Btw, though not a fan of his (yes I was a Princess Diana lover), I adored King Charles’ speech during his visit this week. Thank you for the delightful escapes you give Deborah I will one day be a paid subscriber again.
Thank you very much, Maureen. Sadly an apology was forthcoming... I was very unsure about King Charles' visit but thought the speech was excellent too - and just subtle enough. Your support was greatly appreciated and am very glad you enjoy these posts.
Morwena’s drawings & painting do have a luminosity and an almost child like form to them and as you say Deborah- they give hints of conversations & actions just “off stage” from the picture frame.
I love that uncertainty and her use of colour is so beautiful. I am glad you like them too.
Lovely. The paintings seem to go with her name. Please, Excuse me, interrupting. Time is short. Say NO to Digital ID. Digital ID is not about proving who you are. Digital ID is about fixing you in a system of control
Yes, you are right, they go with it perfectly.
Thanks very much for this introduction Deborah - what an interesting life, lovely paintings (and colours) and a beautiful name too! I really feel for you about the auction, that must have been so frustrating. Also interesting to hear your nan’s story - how lovely that you’ve got her tin trunk in your studio xx
Thank you, Amy. I love her paintings and wish I could have shown better reproductions. It is a very ordinary tin trunk and no doubt one of many that were made for the purpose. It seems incredible that such a young girl should leave home to work like that now with so little schooling too.
Another fascinating article about an artist unknown to me. I shall have to seek out some of her work and see it in the flesh.
How annoying about missing out on the drawing. I once bought a sideboard when the auctioneer missed a phone bid. The disgruntled phone bidder contacted me through the auctioneer and I agreed to sell it at the price I’d paid because I felt he desperately wanted it and I’d really only bought it because it was a bargain. The auctioneer then tried to charge me commission for making the sale! The buyer sent me a beautiful bunch of flowers.
So a happy ending! But the cheeky auctioneer! How lovely that they sent you flowers, it really must have meant a lot to them to have it. I was so cross that he didn't see me and do wonder who has it now!
I wasn’t aware of this remarkable artist, so I enjoyed learning about her enormously! I’m really sorry that you missed out on the sketch though, that was absolutely the worst luck. Calke Abbey is an astonishing place isn’t it? We enjoyed it very much when we went a couple of years ago.
Lovely to hear from you! Isn't her work beautiful? I loved Calke Abbey. It was meant to be a stop-off on the way home and ended up staying all afternoon. I shall definitely return.
It’s one of those places where you could visit many times and still discover something new, isn’t it? I’m very tempted to try and get myself a copy of the artists book you mentioned, I find myself really drawn to her work, the softness and the way she paints her figures - very grateful to you for writing about her, thank you Deborah xx
Another lovely post, although I’m sorry that you missed out on an artwork due to an inattentive auctioneer. How frustrating! Thanks for the Nigel Slater link as well. Have you read his ‘a thousand feasts’ book? Very lovely travel writing memoirs of his to dip into and soothe away the day. 🌷🌷🌷
I was very cross! I have it, but haven't yet read it. I love his writing and perhaps a good book to read now.
Oh I felt your frustration at losing out on that sketch. How odd that the auctioneer didn't keep any eye on the audience! But what lovely paintings anyway. Thank you for introducing me to Morwenna Thistlewaite.
I was furious! It was his last lot of the morning, before someone else took over, and think he simply just didn't look. I hope whoever has it loves it! I am so pleased you liked her work and thank you for reading it.
I can see easily why you are so taken by the drawing and the paintings; so am I. The mutedness of the colors lends itself so well to the enigmatic aspects of the work, which reward slow looking. Thank you for introducing her here.
I am glad you like them too and such a pity that she is not better known. I found the process of how she worked fascinating, she seemed to pare down the detail and use colour to lead the eye. Reproductions really don't do them justice.