Victorian Christmas circa 1880. Watercolour painted in or around 1880 by Victorian children living in England. Detail from a manuscript volume of paintings and handwritten verse compiled by the children for their cousin, May Chatteris Fisher (1874-1910), then aged about five.
Watercolour painting and handwritten caption, created in or around 1880 by Victorian children. It is a rare example of artwork by children growing up in Victorian England. Although painting and drawing were popular pastimes amongst children during the 1800s, both in the US and Europe, very few examples of their efforts have survived. Today, paintings featuring Victorian children are quite common, but almost without exception these are the work of adults. This painting is part of a manuscript volume, 'May's Picture Book', created by Maude Fisher and her sisters, Bertha & Hannah, for their little cousin, May Chatteris Fisher (1874-1910), then aged about five, who became a professional artist when she grew up. In 1904, May married the established landscape painter, William Smallwood Winder (1869-1910), and subsequently signed her work MC Winder. Several pages of 'May's Picture Book' feature May herself and / or her sisters: Margaret (known as Daisy) born in 1873, and Helen (known as Nellie), born in 1875. The Book is a mix of typically Victorian cautionary tales, nursery rhymes and depictions of home life and play for children of the time. Please be aware that this picture is derived from a high-resolution scan of an original which is now around 140 years old. Inevitably, in that time, the paper has yellowed and this page, like most of the others, may show small creases, tears, paint and ink spots or other blemishes.
Size: 7163px × 5731px
Location: UK
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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