Amazing Whimsical Collages

I just couldn't help myself - I've created some great whimsical collages composed of old master paintings, antique ephemera from my books and cards, and lots of great lettering. The result is a beautiful collection of amazing women. I have more to follow!

Gemini Gothic Whimsical Collage Butterfly Women Poster by antiqueart
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Vintage Taurus Fantasy Gothic Whimsical Collage Poster by antiqueart
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Vintage Mermaid Aquarius Gothic Whimsical Woman Poster by antiqueart
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Van Gogh's Wheatfield with Crows

While most of Van Gogh's paintings are breathtaking, each and every one is uniquely awe inspiring. Here's his Wheatfield with Crows, shown at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam:

One of Van Gogh's last works created in 1890, it's all about the power of the landscape. Some argue that the landscape is menacing and stormy, and the path leads to nowhere, hinting to Van Gogh's imminent suicide, while others say that Van Gogh felt soothed by the landscape's greatness. Either way, it is a powerful image with striking contrasting colors and brushwork.

Van gogh wheat fields poster by antiqueart

Vintage Botanical Amaryllis Drawing

Amaryllis Botanical Vintage Garden Print by antiqueart
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Amaryllis is a flowering plant, growing from a large bulb, commonly sold in the winter months because they have bright fresh flowers that grow indoors. This vintage image of an amaryllis has a bright yellow flower, green leaves, and a white bulb with roots.

The Botanical Magazine, Vol. 9 by William Curtis published 1795

This yellow amaryllis is from The Botanical Magazine published in 1795, showcasing botanical flowers like this beautiful yellow amaryllis. Botanicals like this vintage amaryllis are finding a resurgence in modern homes as accent designs. 

Amaryllis Botanical Vintage Garden Print Wrapping Paper by antiqueart
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Vintage botanical amaryllis flower garden yellow pretty country antique floral

John Singer Sargent Carnation Lily

I've always been inspired by this image, "Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose" by artist John Singer Sargent. According to the Tate.org website, Sargent was inspired to paint this picture while boating on the Thames in England in 1885, where he saw Chinese lanterns hanging among trees and lilies. (read more here: Summary from The Tate).

Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose by John Singer Sargent Perfect Poster by antiqueart
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This is an amazing image - one of the few that John Singer Sargent painting in the impressionist style (versus his well-known stunning dark portraits.) The name Carnation, Lily, Lily Rose is after a popular song in the 1880s, which Sargent and friends would sing at the piano.

The painting shows two small children dressed in white, almost fairy-like, softly lighting Chinese lanterns in a wild garden, surrounded by tall white lilies. The sun is in decline, and the mood suggests a magical party is about to begin.

Penny Farthing Bicycle

Penny Farthing High-wheeler bicycle

Mom and I had an antique shop when I was young. We'd go to auctions to buy some of our inventory, and I'd often see a Penny Farthing bicycle sitting in the rafters of the auction house, waiting to come down to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Those days, they weren't so rare as today, and you could buy your own for a couple hundred dollars. Now, if you find one of them out in the country auctions, they tend to be in poor condition - ratty seats and unusable tires, and you'd pay 10 times the price.

The penny farthing bicycle, also called a high-wheeler, was a common fashion symbol for highbrow Victorian ladies and gentlemen who loved to show off the new rage in sports gear.

This image of a penny farthing shows the huge front tire and tiny back tire - a dangerous sport that eventually led to its demise.

High Wheeler Victorian Penny Farthing Cycle Biking Poster by antiqueart
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High Wheeler Victorian Penny Farthing Cycle Biking Wood Wall Art by antiqueart
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Alice in Wonderland Collage

Alice and wonderland - the original images

Alice in Wonderland never looked better! The Alice in Wonderland collages include the original John Tenniel illustration of Alice and the Dodo, Alice and the Rabbit, Alice and the Flamingo, Alice and the Cheshire cat, and the Mad Tea Party! There are also lots of vintage Victorian Alice icons.   

The Alice illustration is by Sir John Tenniel for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll published in 1911.

Alice in Wonderland Dodo Vintage Pretty Collage Perfect Poster by antiqueart
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Alice in Wonderland Flamingo Perfect Poster by antiqueart
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This lovely Alice's Adventures in Wonderland includes an original illustration with Alice looking through the curtain, the Mad Hatter, and the White Rabbit. The book was written by Lewis Caroll in 1865, where Alice falls down the rabbit hole and is involved in a wonderland of fantasy. It includes this quote by alice, "If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense."

Alice in Wonderland Hatter and Rabbit Canvas Print by antiqueart
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Paris in Spring

Vintage Eiffel Tower Paris France Collage

Great antique ephemera - bits of antique paper advertisements, chap books, and trash - comes from all over the world. This beautiful Paris collage includes the Eiffel Tower from an old postcard. The lace is a scan of real lace, and the other images are from books and antique cards. It's a glimpse of vintage 1900s Paris, a time of old lace, roses, and vintage sightseeing in the beautiful old-fashioned city of Paris.

Paris is an antique collector's delight - with all kinds of junk shops and artifact stores that could take a lifetime to go through. There are so many antiques and antique art in beautiful Paris that it's overwhelming!

Vintage Eiffel Tower Paris France Travel collage Print

The Polar Bear and Vintage Beauty

Vintage Polar Bear Rug

This is an amazing illustration from 1912 of a woman standing in back of a fierce polar bear rug, published on the cover of Puck Magazine, by famous pin-up artist Rolf Armstrong.

The polar bear's face is shown, facing towards us, with very large teeth in his open mouth. It could be a polar bear rug, or is it perhaps a real bear? The woman looks out at us in the dark, as if she's hiding behind the big comfortable white bear.

The illustrator, Rolf Armstrong, was an American pin-up artist, known for painting beautiful young women. Armstrong created beautiful poster art for magazines, calendars and posters. Rolf Armstrong was known as one of the best pinup artists in the 1920s and 1930s.

Polar Bear and Girl Vintage Beauty Poster

Art Nouveau Zebra and Girl Life Magazine Cover

Art Nouveau Zebra and Girl Life Magazine Cover
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Vintage Zebra with Art Nouveau Woman Rider

A zebra is to ride, apparently. The woman and vintage zebra image is by W.T. Benda, a Polish-American painter, illustrator, and designer. The vintage Zebra illustration appeared on the cover of the November 1922 issue of Life Magazine. The vintage Zebra and the art nouveau woman riding him are wonderful examples of later Art Nouveau-inspired illustration. The exotic woman is wearing vintage peacock feathers in her long flowing hair, a theme we see in other Benda illustrations. The woman wears a long red dress, and a leopard-print scarf. The cute zebra looks surprised as it backs up when it sees a little Cobra snake. The dark blue background and vivid coloring make this zebra image a stunner.

About Illustrator W.T. Benda

W.T. Benda, the zebra illustrator, was a member of the Society of Illustrators, the Architectural League, and the National Society of Mural Painters in the early 1900s. W.T. Benda was a graphic artist and illustrator, working on illustrations for books, short stories, advertising copy, and magazine covers for the major magazines such as Collier's, McCall's, Ladies' Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, and Life Magazine. Benda was known for an exotic look to his creations, and was sought after for his style.

History of Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau and Vienna

 I've been on quite a Youtube kick for a while -- what a great place to go to learn about the history of art. Here's a wonderful video on the history of Art Nouveau -- it gives you a background on some of the famous artists of one of the greatest movements of art. I've been to Vienna to experience the history of all things nouveau, and have found it exuberant. Here, in this great video, you'll see a "klimt barbie"...

History of Art Nouveau

What a wonderful European city - Vienna - that started the Art Nouveau movement. The video is an hour long, but it's a great documentary. Enjoy!

Claude Monet Working at Giverny Video

Rare film of artist Claude Monet at work in his garden in Giverny. Awesome view of the great artist at work!

Vintage Dragonfly Antique Collage

Dragonflies Vintage Illustration Collage
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About the Dragonfly Collage

This dragonfly collage is based on vintage scientific drawings of dragonflies from books. The top dragonfly is drawn in black and white, with a background of soft colorful dragonflies against antique paper.

Dragonflies in Art

Native Americans associate dragonflies and damselflies with being fast and active and pure, and are often depicted in Native American art, often in pottery and jewelry. Dragonflies are also a recurring image in Art Nouveau design, and can be seen in Art Nouveau jewelry designs, posters, and furnishings. In Japan, the dragonfly is used as a symbol of courage, strength, and happiness; here, they use dragonflies in visual art as well as in haiku.

Animals in Art: Fox Drawings and Designs

The Fox - Vintage Collage
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The Fox in Art History

It's only recently that the Fox was depicted as a nice animal. Most of the images from the Victorian era show the animal with an angry face, as if to say to the children of the time, "beware!" Occasionally, though, the Victorians broke through their bias toward evil foxes and showed them with bright, nice faces in beautiful scenery like the advertising showing the arctic fox below.

Victorian Advertising Showing Arctic Fox

Folklore Fox

In Medieval European folklore, the fox Reynard was a fable about an anthropomorphic, trickster red fox. Renyard persists in today's literature and art images of foxes, and can be seen worldwide in advertising, comics, and current-day fables showing the fox in a man's clothing.

As a symbol, Celtics believed the fox to be wise, and a guide in the spirit world; in Japan, the fox was a rain spirit, and symbolized longevity and protection. Northern Native Americans believed the fox was wise and noble, while Plains tribes thought it was a trickster.

It's a Cats World Illustration

It's a Cat's World Antique Book Illustration
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A Cat's World

This antique cat illustration is based on the cover of an antique book called, "Prang's Natural History Series for Children" first published in 1878. The cat's head is surrounded by all the wonderful cat's world images a happy cat can imagine: a garden, a bird, a squirrel are painted into this illustration.

Antique New York Ephemera Collage

New York Statue of Liberty Collage of Antique Art
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New York, New York

New York City is an amalgam of many different images. The Statue of Liberty welcomes the visitor to New York, while the visit involves much love, architecture, and sweet images of beautiful things. This image is a collage of the New York Love experience - old fashioned lace, roses, and little bits of impressions of the city. This New York Image is composed of antique lace, old postcards, and greeting cards from antique stores - a bit of New York ephemera, so to speak. So, what was once a bunch of lovely old antique images becomes an art piece that is quite new and relevant.

Christmas Story from the Met

Rennaisance Christmas at the Met

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's website is one that I visit quite often to see the regular news about classic art. They've got a great Christmas flash page that tells the Christmas story in Art. Below you see the painting that starts it out - The Adoration of the Shepherds by Andrea Mantegna.

Antique Christmas  -  Adoration of the Shepards

Check it out here:
http://www.metmuseum.org/metmedia/interactives/adults-teachers/the-christmas-story

Christmas Art for Victorians!

Christmas Tree Ornament

Victorian Christmas Chocolate Advertising Art

I love a beautiful Victorian Christmas.

The Victorian art era was full of magazine illustraitons showing old-fashioned red-cheeked children ready to decorate the Christmas tree and playing in the snow.

The most magic time of year, Christmas was awesome for people in the 1800s, and the art at that time celebrated the incredible joy they had over this season. While many of the poorer families could only give their children a small token, those in the upper classes showered their children with gifts, much like they do today. The Victorian advertising art back then really played up the wonderful time of year -- they illustrated beautiful chubby children who loved the season! And, of course, Santa Claus!

The vintage illustratiuon is based on a magazine advertisement by Bakers Cocoa and Chocolate, showing a beautiful illustration of a Christmas basket stuffed full of chocolate. The old father with the top hat is carrying his red-hooded child, who is holding her Christmas goodies in the basket.

The Origin of Christmas Art

Vintage Christmas Art

Christmas art inspires us to look back at earlier years when Christmas traditions were young. What was Christmas like when our grandparents and great-grandparents grew up? The vintage Christmas images printed on postcards and in Victorian Christmas books give us a clue -- Vintage Christmas celebrations were just as popular then as they are today. The antique art that we still see today in antique shops from the early 1900s and late 1800s show an abundance of sweet paintings of Santa Claus, holly, Christmas trees, and red-cheeked children with wide grins.
 

Vintage Santa and Angels Gallery Wrapped Canvas by antiqueart
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Commercial Christmas Art

 In the first half of the 1900s, Christmas celebrations ranged from home-made ornaments and gifts to department store toys. The oil lamps and candles on trees in the 1800s gave way to electric lights and bulbs around 1913. Vintage Christmas was transformed into a commercial bevy of products laden with Santa Claus images -- most of these early commercial images were crafted quite well with exquisite attention to detail.

Christmas has emerged today as quite a different celebration than its origins, and its art has emerged and modernized as well. Christmas started with old customs that dated back to the merger of traditions from Pagan Europe and early Christianity. By medieval days, The main figurehead became Father Christmas. Father Christmas was portrayed with a long beard and cloak, but would be shown wearing blue, green, brown or red suits. By 1910, Santa Claus standardized on the red suit he wears today.

Vintage Santa Christmas Music Christmas Ornaments by antiqueart
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Image of Father Christmas and Odin

Today's image of Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, started with the Norse God Odin, the ruler of Asgard. Odin wore a blue cloak and had a long white beard and a wreath around his head. Modern-day Santa Claus merged Odin with the Christian legend of Saint Nicholas of Myra who visited Dutch children on Christmas eve to replace straw-filled shoes with sweets. Father Christmas came to represent the Christmas spirit of goodwill.

During the Victorian (late 1800s) and Edwardian periods (early 1900s), inexpensive printing methods brought the image of Santa and Christmas to everyone -- in the form of children's books and Christmas cards. The commercialization of Christmas began.. The images of Father Christmas (Santa Claus) became well established as the definitive figurehead of the Christmas season.

Vintage Santa Claus Art

Kriss Kringle Stories of Santa
Christmas Ornament

Victorian Kriss Kringle 

The history of today's view of Santa Claus started with the Dutch legend of Sinter Klaas. In 1809, Washington Irving, under the pseudonym Dietrich Knickerbocker, described St. Nicholas arriving on St. Nicholas’s eve. In 1823, Clement Clark Moore wrote "The Night Before Christmas" which added the rendeer names and other details about Santa. In the early Victorian days, Santa was dressed in green and was often depicted as quite skinny. Thomas Nast, illustrating for Harper's Illustrated Magazine, showed Santa as a bit rounder in the 1860s-1880s. Then, in 1931, Santa emerged quite round and jolly in Coca-Cola ads.

Santa Claus has gone by many names through the past 150 years.

Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Kriss Kringle, to name a few. Kris Kringle was a popular name for Santa in the 19th Century. This illustration is from the cover of an antique children's book about Kris Kringle from the late 1800s. Santa Claus is emerging from the fireplace, as if floating on the smoke, Christmas bag on his back, full of toys and goodies for the lucky children on his Christmas list. The Victorian illustration shows the moment when Kris Kringle emerges and finds a Christmas child, asleep in the chair, waiting for Santa to show up.

Victorians Primed for Comemrcial Advertising Art

Victorian Advertising Art

Children Riding Ponies Greeting Card

While advertising certainly existed way before the 1870s, Victorians energized it to an art form. Victorian trade cards were beauties. These little cards were printed in full color -- quite an expensive process prior to this time -- and featured lovely children, gorgeous young women, or scenes depicting life at the time. A company's advertising showed up in a nondescript part of the card -- often at the bottom of the image or on the back of the card.

What made these cards work perfectly for advertisers was that the great art made them highly collectible. Consumers would grab them, take them home, and keep them. They would buy the products they'd advertise. The better the art, the more sought after they were by collectors.

Victorian Trade Cards

Trade cards' emergence was ignited by the invention of lithography in 1870s. Lithography allowed full color images to be mass produced. Many trade cards were purchased from printers from among their stock images. Stock cards had illustrations that could be used for any product, such as the face of a beautiful girl, and would suffice for almost any kind of business to print their names and addresses. Custom-made cards were created too, although they would be more costly, but these were better, because artists could be consigned to include the product as part of the illustration.

Puppy Taking a Bath Button by antiqueart
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Victorian Lithography Process

The lithographic process was quite tedious. First, the artist would create the picture. The picture would then be given to the printer to place each of the the colors used in the picture on specially prepared limestones. Lower quality cards would use up to five colors, while higher quality would have included 20 or more. Cards would be printed by laying one stone after stone, the colors of each stone superimposing on the previous. Good registration was key to getting all the print runs in order, although increasing sophistication in lithographic printing presses made it easier and sped up the process.

By the early 1900s, lithography trade cards started to disappear because halftone printing allowed color advertising in newspapers and magazines. These halftone advertisements were cheaper to run and would get into more peoples' hands. An improvement for the advertisers, but a disappointment to those of us who still collect these beautiful old Victorian trade cards today.

French Chocolate Party Posters

Bock Beer Goats Bag

Sailboat Cigar Label Vintage Spiral Notebooks

Vintage drinking bear square stickers