Rhymes of London

Each verse paints a picture, soft and serene, but if you look closely there’s more to be seen.

Nursery rhymes, or Mother Goose rhymes, are traditional poems or songs developed for children, often based around historical events and passed down through generations. Primarily originating in England, they gained mass popularity in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, their widespread appeal continuing to blossom well into the Victorian era and beyond. Many nursery rhymes are said to contain hidden meanings and origins within their prose, some darker connotations proving better concealed than others.

While researching this collection, I was struck by a distinct parallel between nursery rhymes and the visual and literary representations of animals of the period; Innocent, docile and sentimental imagery or description were often a mask imposed to smother the true nature of the beast. Concurrently, domestic pets and women served similar functions in Victorian culture and iconography, at once seen as symbols of servitude, compliance and mildness. Both oppressed groups began to break their chains during this period, thanks to advances in natural science and women’s rights (the RSPCA was founded in 1824, and the NUWSS in 1897).

Tame animals in Victorian England were kept on a pedestal of virtue and gentility, perceived as sweet and loving, mischievous and tender. Playful illustrations of domestic animals (often infant) were widespread, from advertising materials to seasonal greetings cards, from book covers to matchboxes, every manner of printed surface was adorned with adorable representations of kittens, bunnies, chicks and puppies. These darling creatures would be set within charming scenes, often anthropomorphised to endear yet further; tumbling out of a teacup, dressed in a baby bonnet, playing a violin, each tableau designed to obscure and ignore the reality of their true animal nature.

However, the 19th century witnessed a profound shift in both the treatment and perception of animals. The serene and pretty image of our homely companions was brought under shocking and distinct threat by the recent introduction of Darwinism, and specifically his revelations about the reality and violence of nature in the animal kingdom (his passage on British songbirds appalled the Victorian reader). Scientists of the day, proclaiming that human beings were close kin to beasts, at last not only encouraged but demanded considerate treatment for animals.

I have chosen to play on the concept of the metaphorical pedestal these creatures were balanced upon, placing some of my protagonists on literal plinths, crumbling and collapsing under the weight of upholding this romantic expectation. The melodic tunes of the nursery rhymes formed the perfect analogy to set my scenes against. Much like the rhymes themselves, there is a deeper and more serious meaning thinly veiled behind my charming scenes. I have chosen to embellish these narrative tableaus with naturalistic, botanical illustrations, alluding to the encroaching scientific advances of the era.