A refreshing and spontaneous talent
March 1, 2017 6:52 AM   Subscribe

The watercolor sketches & captions of Diana Sperling (1791-1862) depict vibrant, witty scenes of comfortable Regency life. Her sketchbook was published as Mrs Hurst Dancing & Other Scenes from Regency Life 1812 – 1823, recording for posterity such moments as her younger sister falling off a donkey and the extended family playing with electricity.
posted by mixedmetaphors (11 comments total) 43 users marked this as a favorite
 
These are so great! They remind me of Edward Gorey, or rather Edward Gorey reminds me of them.
posted by Frowner at 7:11 AM on March 1, 2017 [7 favorites]


First two drawings: shuttlecocks and (maybe) brunch. So close!
posted by tobascodagama at 7:36 AM on March 1, 2017 [1 favorite]


They are indeed delightful: I wish the images were larger and the details a little clearer. But then I noticed secondhand copies of the book are available very cheaply (at least here in the UK), so I just ordered one so I can take a closer look. Thanks for the post, mixedmetaphors!
posted by misteraitch at 8:22 AM on March 1, 2017 [2 favorites]


This is fantastic, I, too, thought immediately of Gorey.
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 8:58 AM on March 1, 2017


I feel such a powerful bittersweet sensation looking at these paintings. The way they capture everyday family life is utterly charming and makes me think of my own everyday family life. And then it's as if I'm looking at my own family photos two hundred years from now, and we've all been reduced to dust long ago. This is why I'm such a cheerful person.
posted by leibniz at 8:59 AM on March 1, 2017 [2 favorites]


Thanks so much for posting this! I'd never heard of it, and it's totally up my alley--I'm definitely going to read this book, so I can take a really close look at all the details.

Agreed on Gorey's style reminding me of these. Especially "Mrs. Sperling murdering flies -- assisted by her maid who received the dead and wounded", and "Mrs. Van murdering a spider".

The fly-killing chore feels especially precious, actually, as a glimpse of daily life--granted it's not warm and familial, like the husband and wife playing chess, but it's the sort of daily detail-oriented hard labor that kept the household running, but that is seldom thought about in the future (or, I suspect, by many other people at the time).

Oh, and I wonder if anyone here can tell me--the article refers to "their fine sewing (white sewing was never seen by callers)". What is "white sewing"? An initial google search was just giving me white sewing machines or white sewing thread. Is "fine sewing" decorative and "white sewing", like, fixing a tear in your underthings?
posted by theatro at 10:07 AM on March 1, 2017


Love this. Am a huge Regency (and Heyer of course) fan.
posted by infini at 11:02 AM on March 1, 2017


Could "white sewing" refer to mending or making undergarments, perhaps? That would explain why callers never see it.
posted by tobascodagama at 11:40 AM on March 1, 2017


White sewing would be almost everything that needs regular hard laundering -- hemming, mending, turning sheets and towels; all the under-linens; shirts.

Sometimes the fancy version is "whitework", and possibly you'd do that in semi-public.
posted by clew at 12:18 PM on March 1, 2017 [2 favorites]


Ahh, got it. Thanks, clew!
posted by theatro at 6:09 PM on March 1, 2017


Because of this post I ordered a copy of Mrs. Hurst Dancing, and it arrived today and is perfectly delightful. The horse mishaps! The spider murders! The electrical experiment! Thanks!
posted by oulipian at 5:39 PM on March 14, 2017 [1 favorite]


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