Frank Dicksee Victorian Painter Review

Frank Dicksee Victorian Painter Review
by Teresita Blanco

Dicksee was a Victorian painter. He did dramatic scenes of historical and legendary moments. He also did portraits of fashionably dressed women. The portraits helped him become famous. He learned his artwork from his father Thomas Dicksee. When he got better, he entered the Royal Academy in 1870.

Dicksee was an extremely popular Victorian painter during his time. He managed to live till the 1920s. Since he was classically oriented, he lost touch with the modern trends of paintings. As such, he lost popularity in the later part of his life. Thankfully, he was an eternal bachelor so he did not have to maintain a wife or legitimate kids.

An offering

The first painting shows a beautifully dressed maiden. She is at the top of the Victorian fashion. In her days, pearls and white dresses were trendy. The guy too is dressed rather fancy. The offering is a little Cupid figurine. Cupid's hands are tied. This shows the man's devotion to the maiden.

Chivalry 1885

In this painting, a knight has just rescued a damsel in distress. This was a popular theme in medieval stories. The opponent was usually an evil knight, wicked mage or a dragon. The maiden is tied to a tree to show that the other knight was about to take her virtue. Knights were always protecting the honor of fair maidens. The sun behind the knight adds to the drama.

Duet

This painting shows two fashionably dressed Victorian maidens. One is playing a guitar and the other a piano. Both instruments were trending during this era. Music was an acceptable hobby for upper class ladies. Their dresses are exquisite.  The light source is an open window. It adds a dramatic stage effect to the scene.

Reverie

This painting is related to another Dicksee painting called  Reverie. It depicts a man freaking out because of a ghost. The man with the mustache is looking at the ghost of his dead wife. Ghost stories became trending during this era. At the eve of the world of science, there were still remnants of superstition.  These remnants were translated into ghost stories. 

 Harmony 1877

In this painting, a guy is watching a girl playing the organ. The setting is the church. You can see the Virgin Mary in the stained glass window. The guy is clearly in love with the girl. However, he is held back by the saintliness of the girl. He does not want to spoil her virginal beauty. 

 The Magic Crystal 1894

The Magic Crystal shows Dicksee's fascination with magic women. Women were still considered magical during the Victorian era. This maiden has the look of a gypsy. She is seeing the future of her client. The maiden looks like a Roman girl. Most of the gypsy tribes are composed of the remnants of the ancient Roman Empire.

 Mother and Daughter

In this painting, a mother is consoling her daughter. There is a creepy letter by the couch. Both must have received bad news. Both their dresses look very pretty.

Oriental Pastime

This is one of those oriental paintings. They show a romanticized view of women of the orient. One maiden is playing with a parrot. The other one is showing off her new bracelet. Both maidens are wearing pearls. They are in essence the pearl of the orient. The center maiden is blonde. Apparently, blonde maidens were highly priced in the orient or so Dicksee believed.

 Portrait of Elsa, Daughter of William Hall

This is another one of Dicksee's famous portraits. It features a maiden named Elsa. She is wearing a lovely white dress. The arrangement in this painting is sublime.

 the funeral of a viking 1893

This painting was more or less popular. Some loved it because it looked epic. Others hated it because it was epic. It was used as the cover of the album Hammerheart for the metal band Bathory. Like the title states, this scene shows a Viking Funeral. The Vikings had ocean cremations. The dead were burnt with their favorite weapons and their first wife.

 the mirror 1896

This painting is more of a Vanity piece. This maiden is obsessed with her own beauty. Her throne and her blanket is elaborated. The maiden appears to be Greek.

the two crowns 1900

This painting shows the earthly crown and the heavenly crown. The king is not concerned with the parade. Rather. he was stopped short by the presence of the son of God. This fear of God shows the piety of Medieval kings. It was an interesting contrast with their war exploits. The maidens in the foreground look gorgeous. The horse is plenty realistic. The King is sporting a celebration armor. This contrast with the humble attire of the crucified Jesus.

passion 1892

This last painting shows a passionate looking maiden. The lilies represent her virginity. The tiger pelt is a symbol of her wild side. The maiden is also dressed like someone from the orient. The maiden looks like she is part of the furniture. Her colors go well with all the items in the painting. Dicksee was truly a talented artist.