Oscar Was Destined to be Immortalized in Needlework Before Even Setting Foot in North America

Oscar Was Destined to be Immortalized in Needlework Before Even Setting Foot in North America

Outline Embroidery Images of Oscar and his Fellow Aesthetes were published before he even set foot in America.  So it shouldn’t come as a surprise his image is showing up on quilts.  

The following description very aptly describes the Oscar image on my CQ:  “…the black-velvet robed lecturer in knee breeches and buckled shoes, with lace frills at his wrist, and a cascade of lace at his throat…”  This is from A Lecture by Oscar Wilde by Mary Wager-Fisher published in The Christian Union, Vol 25, No 22, Page 504; June 1, 1882. 

British satirical publications “Punch, Or the London Charivari.” and “Judy, Or the London Serio-comic Journal.” published caricature illustrations of the poet Oscar Wilde in 1881, as did Puck here in America.  

The Art Amateur seized on the burgeoning popularity of Mr. Wilde and his fellow aesthetes with the ladies and offered a collection of designs suitable for outline embroidery or etching on linen in their October 1881 issue. 

The Art Amateur, Vol 5, October 1881, Pg 110.  Supplemental Designs.  Plate CXXII. Is a collection of designs – “Aesthetes” suitable for outline embroidery or etching on linen. 

Not only were the figures published in The Art Amateur – articles appeared as book reviews in several publications advertising the fact they were available and mentioning Oscar Wilde in particular.  

The Fort Wayne Daily Gazette, Fort Wayne, Indiana, October 9, 1881, Page 7 had a review for the October issue of the Art Amateur mentioning embroidery designs.  

The Louisiana Journal of Education, Vol 3, No 7, November 1881, Page 231 had the following ad:  The Art Amateur for October contains a great variety of designs for china painting, art needlework and general decoration, including some clever silhouette menu cards, and some clever serio-comic figures of Oscar Wilde and his fellow "aesthetes" for outline embroidery or "etching" on linen. 

The New Englander, 1881, No 163, November 1881, Page 835 had a similar ad:  The Art Amateur for October contains a great variety of designs for china painting, art needlework and general decoration, including silhouette menu cards, and some capital serio-comic figures of Oscar Wilde and his fellow "aesthetes" for outline embroidery or "etching" on linen. 

The most probable source may have been “Judy, Or the London Serio-comic Journal” since the ads mentioned serio-comic figures – and that is part of Judy’s name.  I was able to review volumes 27 and 29-30 on the HathiTrust.org web site, but they did not have number 28.  It is possible some figures of the Aesthetes were in that issue and were the inspiration for the outline designs in The Art Amateur – as it was a  very common practice to convert popular designs into etching patterns for the ladies to use in their fancy work.  Or maybe it was like the contemporary English caricature “Our Oscar” as he was when we loaned him to America from The Amenities of Book-collecting and Kindred Affections by A, Edward Newton, 1918, page 326.  

Oscar’s caricature is illustrated several times in both Punch and Judy. 

Puck, another satirical magazine – along the same lines, had a comic with some aesthetes in their August 10, 1881 issue, by alas Oscar was not among them. 

Until plate CXXII is found, it will be a guess.  It is very hard to find intact supplements from The Art Amateur, as they were generally not included when they bound the issues together into volume format.   If I ever find it – I will post.  

Update:  I have found Issue 28 of Judy in the UK, and hope to review it as soon as I get the book.