Overview:
This book delves into the life and art of George du Maurier, a prominent Victorian artist and writer known for his satirical illustrations and novels. I explore his work for Punch magazine, highlighting the evolution of his style and his unique perspective on Victorian society. I also analyze his novels, including Peter Ibbetson and Trilby, and examine how his personal experiences shaped his artistic vision.
Main Parts:
- The World of du Maurier: This section explores the social landscape of Victorian England and how du Maurier’s art captures the changing dynamics of society, especially the rise of the nouveau riche and the evolving role of women.
- The Art of du Maurier: This part analyzes du Maurier’s artistic style, focusing on his distinctive use of line, his penchant for depicting beauty, his portrayal of children and his unique brand of satire. It also examines the evolution of his style in relation to the different methods of reproduction used for his work.
- du Maurier as Author: This section delves into du Maurier’s novels, analyzing Peter Ibbetson, Trilby, and The Martian. It explores the themes, plot structures, and the autobiographical elements present in each work.
- Life of the Artist: This section provides a biographical overview of du Maurier, tracing his journey from his early years to his eventual success as a writer and illustrator. It sheds light on his personal life, friendships, and the influences that shaped his artistic vision.
- The Illustrations: This section analyzes various illustrations by du Maurier, highlighting specific examples and discussing how they represent his overall artistic style and themes.
View on Life:
- Optimism and Kindness: du Maurier possessed a consistently optimistic outlook on life, even in the face of challenges like his deteriorating eyesight. His art is characterized by kindness and a gentle, often affectionate portrayal of human nature.
- Appreciation for Beauty: du Maurier held a strong belief in the power and importance of beauty, particularly in relation to art and social graces. He believed that beauty was a product of a favorable environment and a sign of a refined society.
- Respect for Society: Despite his satirical observations, du Maurier maintained a level of respect for Victorian society and its conventions, often highlighting its absurdity rather than directly condemning it.
Scenarios:
- The Gold Mine: du Maurier’s early experiences as a mining engineer in Devonshire provided him with rich material for his satirical writing, particularly for his humorous account of his time in “Recollections of an English Gold-Mine.”
- Bohemian Life: du Maurier’s time as an art student in Paris, as depicted in Trilby, offered a glimpse into the world of Bohemian artists and their creative energy.
- The Drawing-room: du Maurier frequently depicted Victorian drawing-rooms, exploring the social dynamics, conversations, and the subtle games of power played within these social spaces.
- The Nursery: du Maurier’s charming portrayal of children in his Punch illustrations often captured the innocence and humor of their world, contributing a sense of warmth and nostalgia to his work.
Challenges:
- Loss of Sight: du Maurier battled with declining eyesight throughout his life. This struggle, which he chronicled in The Martian, contributed to a sense of melancholy and introspection in his writing.
- Financial Struggles: du Maurier’s father faced financial hardship, forcing him to move frequently with his family and ultimately leading to du Maurier’s initial pursuit of a career in chemistry.
- Creative Uncertainty: du Maurier struggled with self-doubt early in his career, unsure of his artistic direction and hesitant to embrace his potential as a writer.
Conflict:
- Artist vs. Society: du Maurier, as a keen observer of Victorian society, often expressed a subtle but persistent tension between the artistic vision and the constraints of social expectations.
- Traditional vs. Modern: du Maurier’s art reflected the clash between traditional Victorian values and the emerging modern world, particularly in his portrayal of the nouveau riche and the changing role of women.
- Beauty vs. Vulgarity: du Maurier’s work often explored the tension between the pursuit of beauty and the often vulgar realities of Victorian society, particularly in his satire of the aesthetic movement.
Plot:
- Peter Ibbetson: A tale of a man who discovers he can dream truly, allowing him to revisit his childhood and reconnect with a lost love.
- Trilby: A story about a beautiful young woman who becomes a renowned singer under the influence of a mysterious hypnotist.
- The Martian: An autobiographical novel that recounts the author’s early years, including his struggles with his eyesight and his eventual pursuit of a career in art.
Point of View:
- Gentle Satirist: du Maurier’s work is characterized by a gentle, often affectionate satire, aiming to highlight the absurdity of Victorian social conventions rather than harshly condemning them.
- Observational Perspective: du Maurier frequently adopts the role of an observer, capturing the essence of Victorian life through his insightful portrayal of social interactions and the nuances of human behavior.
- Romantic Sensibility: Despite his satirical bent, du Maurier’s art is infused with a romantic sensibility, evident in his appreciation for beauty, his depiction of childhood innocence, and his fascination with the past.
How it’s Written:
- Conversational Tone: du Maurier’s writing style is characterized by a conversational tone, often using colloquialisms and a casual, witty approach.
- Descriptive Detail: du Maurier’s prose is rich in descriptive detail, bringing to life the settings, characters, and social situations he depicts with vividness and clarity.
- Humorous Undercurrent: du Maurier’s writing often contains a subtle, humorous undercurrent, even when addressing serious themes, further highlighting the satirical nature of his work.
Tone:
- Humorous and Gentle: The tone of du Maurier’s work is predominantly humorous and gentle, often laced with a touch of melancholy, particularly in his exploration of his own struggles with eyesight and the complexities of human nature.
Life Choices:
- Embracing Art: du Maurier, despite initial pressure from his father to pursue a career in science, ultimately chose to follow his passion for art.
- Marriage and Family: du Maurier’s marriage to Emma Wightwick and the joy he found in his family life provided a source of inspiration and stability throughout his career.
- Victorian Society: While du Maurier observed and satirized Victorian society, his choice to live within it and contribute to its cultural landscape highlights his complex relationship with this world.
Lessons:
- The Power of Kindness: du Maurier’s life and art embody the value of kindness and gentleness, suggesting that these virtues can have a profound impact on both personal and social life.
- Importance of Beauty: du Maurier’s unwavering appreciation for beauty in all its forms emphasizes its significance in human experience, suggesting that beauty can uplift and inspire, even amidst the complexities of life.
- Observing the World: du Maurier’s work illustrates the importance of keen observation and the value of capturing the essence of human nature through art, offering a powerful tool for understanding ourselves and the world around us.
Characters:
- George du Maurier: A talented artist and writer, driven by a desire for beauty and a gentle, often melancholy perspective on life.
- Emma Wightwick du Maurier: George’s wife, who provides him with love and support and plays a significant role in his creative process.
- Peter Ibbetson: The protagonist of du Maurier’s first novel, a lonely, chivalrous young man with a touch of genius, who experiences the world through his vivid dreams.
- Trilby: The titular character of du Maurier’s most famous novel, a beautiful young woman whose talent is unlocked by a mysterious hypnotist, but who later loses her emotional capacity.
- Little Billee: The hero of Trilby, a charming, successful artist who falls in love with Trilby and who experiences a tragic loss of emotional connection.
- Taffy: A kind and supportive friend of Little Billee in Trilby, who remains devoted to him through the challenges they face.
Themes:
- The Power of Art: du Maurier’s work celebrates the power of art to elevate, inspire, and capture the essence of human experience.
- The Search for Identity: Many of du Maurier’s characters, particularly Peter Ibbetson and Little Billee, struggle to find their place in the world, illustrating the complexities of self-discovery and the pursuit of identity.
- The Nature of Beauty: du Maurier’s art explores the concept of beauty, both in its physical and abstract forms, examining its importance, its fragility, and its potential for both inspiration and disappointment.
- Social Dynamics: du Maurier’s work provides a keen commentary on the social dynamics of Victorian England, highlighting the tensions between different classes, the changing role of women, and the pursuit of social status.
Principles:
- The Value of Kindness: Kindness and gentleness are consistently presented as positive qualities that foster happiness and positive relationships.
- The Importance of Beauty: Beauty is presented as a powerful force, capable of uplifting and enriching human experience.
- The Power of Observation: Keen observation of human behavior and the social landscape is crucial for understanding the world and expressing it through art.
Intentions:
- Characters:
- Peter Ibbetson: To explore the power of dreams and the search for lost love and happiness.
- Trilby: To create a compelling tale about the complexities of artistic expression and the potential for both love and tragedy in human relationships.
- Little Billee: To explore the themes of ambition, artistic success, and the human capacity for both love and emotional detachment.
- Reader: To entertain and engage the reader, offering insights into the social dynamics of Victorian England and the complexities of human nature, while also encouraging a deeper appreciation for the power of beauty and the importance of kindness.
Unique Vocabulary:
- “Othaw”: du Maurier uses this slang term in a drawing, illustrating the character’s affected way of speaking.
- “Jodel”: This term, associated with Tyrolean music, is used in the gold mine narrative, highlighting the artist’s interest in foreign cultures.
- “Been and Took”: This phrase, used in du Maurier’s representation of children’s speech, captures the distinctive grammar and innocence of their language.
Anecdotes:
- The Gold Mine Adventure: The story of du Maurier’s time as a mining engineer in Devonshire, where he was tasked with assaying ore that ultimately proved to be worthless, provides a humorous and insightful commentary on his early career and his aversion to practical work.
- The Teapot Craze: du Maurier’s humorous drawing of the æsthetic bride and groom, with the caption “Oh! Algernon! Let us live up to it!” captures the absurdity of the aesthetic movement’s preoccupation with objects and the desire to “live up” to their perceived significance.
- The “Trilby Drops”: The anecdote of du Maurier’s daughter discovering “Trilby Drops” in a Whitby sweet-shop, while humorous, highlights the impact of du Maurier’s work and the enduring nature of popular culture.
Ideas:
- The Importance of Family and Home: du Maurier’s work consistently emphasizes the importance of family and home as sources of happiness, support, and creative inspiration.
- The Artist as Observer: du Maurier’s art challenges the traditional view of the artist as an outsider, highlighting the importance of observing and interacting with the world in order to create meaningful art.
- The Beauty of the Everyday: du Maurier’s work celebrates the beauty that can be found in everyday life, from the charm of children to the subtle nuances of social interaction.
Facts and Findings:
- The Rise of the Nouveau Riche: du Maurier’s art captures the dramatic changes in Victorian society caused by the rise of the industrial class and the influx of wealth.
- The Evolution of Fashion: du Maurier’s illustrations provide a valuable record of Victorian fashion, showcasing the changing styles and trends over time, from the voluminous crinolines to the more streamlined fashions of the late Victorian era.
- The Influence of Thackeray: du Maurier’s writing style and his focus on social satire reflect the strong influence of William Makepeace Thackeray, who served as a mentor and inspiration to the younger artist.
Statistics:
- Trilby’s Success: The novel Trilby enjoyed immense popularity, becoming a bestseller and generating a “boom” that surprised even its author.
Points of View:
- The Artist’s Perspective: du Maurier’s work is often filtered through the lens of an artist, capturing his unique perspective on life, beauty, and the complexities of human nature.
- The Satirist’s Eye: du Maurier’s satirical approach to Victorian society offers a critical perspective on its social dynamics, exposing its hypocrisies and highlighting its absurdities.
Perspective:
- A Timeless Perspective: Despite its focus on Victorian England, du Maurier’s work offers a timeless perspective on human nature, social dynamics, and the search for beauty and meaning in life.
- A Touch of Nostalgia: du Maurier’s work evokes a sense of nostalgia, capturing a specific moment in time and offering a glimpse into a world that has since passed.