In movies, books and painting, the past has always offered a setting for escape. The most effective reconstructions of the past create a fantasy about distant times that lacked the societal tensions and fears of the modern day.
Artists and writers of the English Romanticism movement highlight this idea in how they built enchanting fantasy worlds with their novels and paintings. Jane Austen and John Constable constructed compelling escapes with narratives of the aristocracy, and paintings of the rural countryside.
With marriage, gossip and wealth being the main concerns of Austen’s characters, and Constable's painted figures seemingly enjoying their time plowing, dragging and cutting corn stalks, life in 19th century England seems all but a carefree and relaxed environment.
While these narratives and paintings provide for a nice escape, few artists explored the true realities of 19th century England where enforced class divisions, and lack of civic rights were endemic societal norms.
Aristocratic Escape
The escapism of Austen’s novels are reflected in the several film productions of the movie. Pride and Prejudice with Kiera Knightly captures the same idyllic atmosphere of the book, Kiera’s character, Elizabeth Bennet, lives in the countryside and meets Darcy, a wealthy heir.
The movie focuses on this relationship, and the charming narrative Austen creates perfectly suits the Hollywood cliches. At first meeting, the intellectual and independent Elizabeth detests the superior aristocratic attitude of Darcy. Upon his first proposal attempt, Darcy points out that he cannot understand how he fell in love with a woman of an inferior class.
Predictably, Elizabeth denies this proposal, however through an effusive apology and a strong love for Elizabeth, Darcy does not give up and the two eventually marry. This narrative holds a charm and seductiveness that the movie attempts to capture.
However, this charm and seductiveness blinds readers to the true realities of 19th century life. While Austen hints at the lack of female rights, she mostly glosses over the darkest realities of a woman’s existence in 19th century England. At the time of her writing, English society enforced the concept of feme covert, “a married woman did not have a separate legal existence from her husband. A married woman or feme covert was a dependent, like an underage child or a slave, and could not own property in her own name or control her own earnings, except under very specific circumstances.” (1)
Enjoyable Labor
Constable's landscape paintings build upon our fantasy perception of old England. Specifically, Constable creates a fantasy world where labor intensive agriculture is framed as an idyllic pastime, rather its toilsome reality that was confined to the poorest classes.
Malcolm Andrews writes about this idea in, “Landscape and Western Art”. In Andrew’s analysis of Constable’s painting, The Haywain, Andrews explains that while Constable’s paintings include farmers, their depiction among the beautiful rural countryside overlooks their impoverished reality.
In regards to the painting The Hay Wain, he states, “Pictorial naturalism may imply, but does not ensure social realism. The Hay Wain was painted in Constable’s London home, in a very different world north from the Suffolk farmlands of his childhood, and from the contemporary scenes there of poverty and rioting among the laborers” (2)
Andrews even points out that Constable admitted this disconnect from reality, where in a letter to his friend Constable wrote, “though I am here in the midst of the world I am out of it”
Austen’s novels and Constable’s paintings complement each other in their created worlds free from the harshness that defined their time. The compelling characters of Austen’s novels, and the beautifully framed trees, cottages and fields of Constable’s paintings capture our imaginations and visual senses. These fantasy creations are so captivating that it feels natural to understand them as a past reality.
While these two artists shied away from the brutal existence of the world around them, there have been a few artists who confronted these realities
Reality Check: Oliver Twist
Born in 1812, Charles Dickens was one of England’s first social reformers, and author of several classic novels including Oliver Twist. In his preface to the novel, Dickens warns the reader that his story will be an unconventional one, ”Here are no canterings on moonlit heaths, no merry-makings in the snuggest of all possible caverns, none of the attractions of dress, no embroidery, no lace, no jack-boots, no crimson coats and ruffles”
Where happiness, wealth and privilege defined many of the artistic productions of the 19th century, Dickens fully explores the darkest realities of 19th England including, child labor, poverty, and starvation.
All of these themes are captured in the now infamous scene where Oliver kindly asks for an extra helping of supper. This outlandish request is met with fury as the headmaster almost whacks Oliver over the head at such a preposterous demand.
The apathy and neglect Oliver faces reflected real world challenges of a majority 19th century populations. Dickens directly confronts these injustices that were confined to the lowest classes, which greatly contrasts to the enchanting but deceiving escapes of Constable and Austen.
Sources
2. "Landscape and Western Art" by Malcom Andrews
Professor Andrew's book raises very intriguing questions and fresh perspectives on the popular subject of landscapes. A must read for art history lovers who are interested in the depiction of the natural world.
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