Watercolors as a Lady's Past-time

Watercolor by C. E. Brock
http://www.mollands.net/etexts/images/emmaillus/emmabrockwc4.jpg

"It is amazing to me," said Bingley, "how young ladies can have patience to be so very accomplished as they all are."

"All young ladies accomplished! My dear Charles, what do you mean?"

"Yes all of them, I think. They all paint tables, cover skreens, and net purses. I scarcely know any one who cannot do all this, and I am sure I never heard a young lady spoken of for the first time, without being informed that she was very accomplished." Pride and Prejudice chapter 8

Event:        JASNA CWNY May Meeting
Topic:        Watercolors as a Lady's Past-time by Sharon Buzard

When:       Saturday, May 18, 2019 at 1 pm

Where:      Pittsford Barnes and Noble, Community Room

In an era before photography, painting and drawing were the only ways to record a scene. Painting also served an important function in the decorative arts. References to the art of painting and drawing occur throughout Jane Austen's novels. According to Charles Bingley, painting tables was one of the prime accomplishments of young ladies. 

In Emma, Emma uses the taking of Harriet's likeness to further her scheme of uniting Harriet and Mr. Elton. 

"What an exquisite possession a good picture of her would be! I would give any money for it. I almost long to attempt her likeness myself. You do not know it I dare say, but two or three years ago I had a great passion for taking likenesses, and attempted several of my friends, and was thought to have a tolerable eye in general." Emma chapter 6

Emma, Harriet, and Mr. Elton look through Emma's past efforts and Emma decides on a full length watercolor.

She had soon fixed on the size and sort of portrait. It was to be a whole-length in water-colours, like Mr. John Knightley's, and was destined, if she could please herself, to hold a very honourable station over the mantelpiece. Emma chapter 6

Mr. Elton is delighted, of course, to watch Emma paint Harriet's portrait. 

While Emma uses painting to further Harriet's romantic interest. Lucy Steele, in Sense and Sensibility, uses the art of miniature painting as a weapon.

"Yes; and heaven knows how much longer we may have to wait. Poor Edward! It puts him quite out of heart." Then taking a small miniature from her pocket, she added, "To prevent the possibility of mistake, be so good as to look at this face. It does not do him justice, to be sure, but yet I think you cannot be deceived as to the person it was drew for.--I have had it above these three years."

She put it into her hands as she spoke; and when Elinor saw the painting, whatever other doubts her fear of a too hasty decision, or her wish of detecting falsehood might suffer to linger in her mind, she could have none of its being Edward's face. She returned it almost instantly, acknowledging the likeness. Sense and Sensibility chapter 22 

At that moment Elinor must acknowledge to herself that Edward is committed to another. She will not show the pain, but she will feel it.

The Regency period produced a great many notable painters. Perhaps the greatest was J. M. W. Turner, who was born in the 1775, the same year as Jane Austen

J.M.W. Turner Self Portrait
By J. M. W. Turner - http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/turner-self-portrait-n00458, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63864933

Turner was famous for his dramatic landscapes such as this watercolor of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius

Eruption of Vesuvius by JMW Turner
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ausbruch_des_Vesuvs,_1817.jpg

At our May meeting Sharon Buzard will speak to us about the art of watercolor, providing a deeper appreciation for the art which is so important in Jane Austen's novels. Please join us for "Watercolors as a Lady's Past-time".

Sisters

Watercolor of Jane Austen by Cassandra Austen 1804
As good as it gets for portraits

Event:        JASNA CWNY April Meeting

Topic:        A discussion of sisters in the novels with Marie Sprayberry and Wendy Jones

When:       Saturday, April 20, 2019 at 1 pm
Where:      Pittsford Barnes and Noble, Community Room

Jane Austen was very close to her sister Cassandra. Most of what we really know about Jane Austen comes from the letters she wrote to Cassandra. So it is not surprising that relationships between sisters figure prominently in Jane Austen's novels. At our April meeting Marie Sprayberry and Wendy Jones will lead a discussion of sister relationships in Jane Austen's novels.

Of Jane Austen's novels, Pride and Prejudice certainly involves the largest number of sisters. We have the five Bennet daughters to start. Jane and Elizabeth are very close and confide about almost everything. Lydia and Kitty are a pair, and Kitty "will follow wherever Lydia leads"(1). Mary is left by herself which is also a specific relationship with her sisters. Charlotte Lucas has a sister Maria. Mrs Bennet has a sister, Mrs. Phillips, in Meryton. Mr. Bingley has two sisters who conspire together to thwart his interest in Jane. Even Lady Catherine de Bourgh has a sister, Anne Darcy, who does not appear in the story, but whose influence is felt when Lady Cathrine confronts Elizabeth in the "prettyish kind of a little wilderness" (2).

The relationships between and among these sisters form much of the underlying substance of the novel. Yes, the relationship of Elizabeth and Darcy takes center stage in the novel, but these sister relationship provide much of the backdrop.

Northanger Abbey and  Emma, on the other hand, have, perhaps the smallest count of sisters. Emma has a sister, Isabella, whose main role is to discuss the importance of sea bathing. Catherine Morland has plenty of siblings but no significant sister relationships. Sarah and Harriet are present to welcome Catherine back from her travels. Sarah tries to be helpful, answering Henry's question about the location of the Allen's house with "You may see the house from this window, sir" (3). She is geographically correct but not helpful. Emma is somewhat isolated and looks for a sister to dominate in Harriet. Catherine's lack of close female relationships has, no doubt, contributed to her naiveté, and misplaced trust in Isabella.

The list goes on: Marianne and Elinor in Sense and Sensibility, the Bertram sisters in Mansfield Park, and the Elliot sisters in Persuasion. Sisters are important in Jane Austen's work. Please join us at our April meeting to learn more about these relationships and how they work in Jane Austen's novels.

1. Pride and Prejudice, chapter 41.
2. Pride and Prejudice, chapter 56.
3. Northanger Abbey, chapter 30.

Reader's Theater Jane Austen's Juvenilia

Jane Austen, The History of England
British Library

“I soon forgot all my vexations in the pleasure of dancing and of having the most agreable partner in the room. As he is moreover heir to a very large Estate I could see that Lady Greville did not look very well pleased when she found who had been his Choice.” Excerpt From: Jane Austen. “Juvenilia – Volume II.” Apple Books. 

Event:       JASNA CWNY March Meeting

Topic:        Reader's Theater - Lady Greville and The Three Sisters

When:       Saturday, March 16, 2019 at 1 pm

Where:      Pittsford Barnes and Noble, Community Room

At our March meeting local members of JASNA will perform two plays which have been adapted from Jane Austen's Juvenilia. These works, written while Jane Austen was a teenager, contain some of her wittiest dialog. They also explore themes and characterizations that will reoccur in her major novels. 

The adaptations we will be performing were written by Cecily O'Neil. Lady Greville is based on Letter the Third from the second volume of the Juvenilia. The script notes for Lady Greville set the scene and describe the characters.

"The teenage Jane Austen is clearly very conscious of the significance of money, rank and position. In her exchanges with Maria, Lady Greville reveals her close kinship to Lady Catherine de Bourgh in Pride and Prejudice. Maria might be an early sketch for Elizabeth Bennet, who describes Lady Catherine’s manner as ‘dignified impertinence.’ Like Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Lady Greville is outrageously rude, although her expressions are perhaps less decorous and genteel. It is unlikely that Lady Catherine would ever describe anyone as being ‘as poor as a rat.’"

In The Three Sisters, Jane Austen explores the romance of matrimony in a way that reminds us of Mr. Collins and Mrs. Bennet.

[Mr. Watts the suitor]“Fine weather, Ladies." Then turning to Mary, "Well, Miss Stanhope, I hope you have at last settled the Matter in your own mind; and will be so good as to let me know whether you will condescend to marry me or not."
"I think, Sir (said Mary) You might have asked in a genteeler way than that. I do not know whether I shall have you if you behave so odd.”
“Mary!" (said my Mother). "Well, Mama, if he will be so cross… "
"Hush, hush, Mary, you shall not be rude to Mr. Watts."
"Pray Madam, do not lay any restraint on Miss Stanhope by obliging her to be civil. If she does not choose to accept my hand, I can offer it else where, for as I am by no means guided by a particular preference to you above your Sisters, it is equally the same to me which I marry of the three.” 

The text continues with what is basically a financial negotiation.

“I should have thought, Miss Stanhope, that when such Settlements are offered as I have offered to you, there can be no great violence done to the inclinations in accepting of them." Mary mumbled out something, which I who sat close to her could just distinguish to be "What's the use of a great Jointure, if Men live forever?" And then audibly "Remember the pin-money; two hundred a year."
"A hundred and seventy-five, Madam."
"Two hundred indeed, Sir" said my Mother.” Excerpt From: Jane Austen. “Juvenilia – Volume I.” Apple Books.

At a very young age Jane Austen was thinking about the realities of marriage and beginning to construct characters that would serve her in her later writings.

The young Jane Austen gives us an insight into how Jane Austen will develop as a writer. Her work at this stage is also hilarious with an unreserved edge. Also, the 2020 JASNA AGM will concentrate on these youthful writings. All of which are good reasons to join us at our March meeting.