Exhibitions | Leisurely Pursuits: Recreational Culture in Victorian Britain
1 July 2011 – 8 January 2012
Leisurely Pursuits:
Recreational Culture in Victorian Britain
The Industrial Revolution changed the regular pattern of recreational culture in Britain. Leisure activities became less associated with work, which in turn provided the individual with more free time, coupled with a wider choice of activities. Simultaneously, humorous imagery also became a recognised feature of Victorian visual culture through developments in the printing press. The works on display in Leisurely Pursuits explore these changes, providing an intriguing insight into leisure in Victorian Britain.
All 11 works featured in the popular satirical magazine Punch. They demonstrate the artists’ appreciation of the comic side of life, and their ability to communicate this wit onto paper. In addition, they reflect a change in illustrated humour from the scornful satire of the eighteenth-century to the gentler mockery of the nineteenth. The display also provides a cross-section of fashion, class division and gender values prevalent within Victorian society.
The works on display form part of the Barber’s fine collection of works on paper. We can only display a small proportion at any time, therefore if there is anything which is not on view here you can make an appointment to view it in our Prints and Drawings Study Room by emailing collections@barber.org.uk.
Curated by Lucy Wheeler, NADFAS Collections and Learning Intern
Image credit: John Leech (1817-1864)
A Bracing Day at the Seaside
British, about 1850. Watercolour over pencil on paper
Related Events
Leisurely Pursuits:
An Introduction to the Display
Thursday 7 July, 1.15pm
FREE