Style Imitating Art | “Jubilee Procession in a Cornish Village” by George Sherwood Hunter

About Style Imitating Art

Style Imitating Art is hosted by Salazar of 14 Shades of Grey, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, and Marsha of Marsha in the Middle. Style Imitating Art challenges us to draw style inspiration from pieces of art. Every other Monday, one of the hosts, acting as presenter, selects an inspiration image that they will each post on their blogs. The following Monday, each host shares her art inspired outfit. Participants are invited to submit their art inspired outfits to the presenter by 10:00 p.m. EST on the Tuesday following the hosts’ art inspired outfit posts. The following day, Wednesday, the presenter will share all of the submissions on her blog.

You don’t have to be a blogger to join either! In fact, you don’t even have to join but you can still use the art to inspire an outfit just for the sake of trying something different. If you want to share your inspired outfit, we invite you do so on Instagram or any other social media platform that you prefer. Just be sure to tag Salazar, Shelbee, or Marsha or use #TeamLOTSStyle and #StyleImitatingArt so the hosts know you have joined. Go have some fun in your closets and join the SIA challenge next week!

This Week’s Presenter

Salazar chose this painting because it is getting to the cold, dark days of winter and she really likes this work for its depiction of the glowing lanterns in the dusk. 

The Artwork

“Jubilee Procession in a Cornish Village” by George Sherwood Hunter

About the Artist: George Sherwood Hunter

George Sherwood Hunter was born on May 30, 1846, in Aberdeen, Scotland. I cannot find any information regarding his life prior to the 1897 when he visited the seaside town of Newlyn in southwest Cornwall. In 1899, he married Constance Mary Stuart in Paddington when both were already in their mid-40s.

By 1902, Hunter and Constance had settled at the Malt House in Newlyn. The artist maintained a studio in Bateman’s Meadow where the Forbes School of Painting was located. During his early days at the Forbes School, Hunter assisted with student tuition payments and supplemented the other teachers’ efforts in any way he could, gaining himself the reputation of being a sincere and thoughtful individual within his artist circles. He quickly became an integral member of the Newlyn Community of Artists while Constance was actively involved in the Newlyn Artists Amateur Dramatic Society.

As was typical of many artists of this time, Hunter traveled extensively seeking inspiration for his paintings, including a trip to the Middle East which inspired a large oil painting of the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. During his lifetime, Hunter exhibited a prolific amount of paintings which include 16 works in the Royal Academy and more than 60 works at the Royal Society of British Artists. 

George Sherwood Hunter died on June 18, 1919, in Newlyn, at the age of 73. His wife died 5 months later on November 29, 1919, at the age of 72. The couple had no children. Following his death, Hunter’s share in the Bateman’s Meadow Studios was left to his two sisters in Aberdeen and the Malt House was left to his nephew Sherwood Hunter.

About the Art: “Jubilee Procession in a Cornish Village”

“Jubilee Procession in a Cornish Village” is an oil on canvas painted in June 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. It portrays a lantern procession of women and girls all dressed in white gowns walking at dusk along the waterfront in Newlyn. The painting is quite large, measuring 130 x 216 cm (51 x 85 in).

In 2010, “the painting”Jubilee Procession in a Cornish Village” underwent a considerable conservation and restoration process which helped to reveal the subtle glory of the exquisitely painted faces of those in the procession for the first time in nearly a century. The delicate and intricate beauty in the faces of the females is even more remarkable considering the limited color palette that Hunter used for this work. This painting is considered one of Hunter’s masterpieces and is currently exhibited by the Royal Cornwall Museum.

References/Resources:

• askArt: George Sherwood Hunter
• Cornwall Artists Index: George Sherwood Hunter
• Penlee House Gallery & Museum: Hunter, George Sherwood
• Royal Cornwall Museum: Jubilee Procession
• Art UK: Jubilee Procession in a Cornish Village, June 1897
• Media Storehouse: Jubilee Procession in a Cornish Village, A. G. Sherwood Hunter (1846-1919)
• The Newlyn Archive: George Sherwood Hunter

About My Outfit

I wanted to wear a long white dress because all the ladies and girls in the painting are donning long white dresses. But all of my white dresses are summer dresses so I had to get creative with my layering. I started with this old thrifted white gauzy maxi dress because it had the closest silhouette to the Victorian style gowns portrayed in the artwork. Underneath the dress, I layered black fleece lined leggings and a kind of rusty orange-ish tan turtleneck. Then I leaned heavily into shades of yellow, red, and orange, splashing these colors all throughout my outfit like little drops of lantern lights shining all around!

First, I added this whimsical butterfly kimono wrap that I picked up over the summer but haven’t shared here yet. Still I was too cold. So the next layer added was my yellow velvet kimono robe which has appeared in two previous SIA challenges here and here.

When I previously styled this white dress for a Star Wars theme, I paired it with these same white combat boots. And you have recently seen this fun necklace paired with one of my beautiful new Ulivary kimono robes. My orange Panama hat is just the right color and has also made two previous SIA appearances here and here. My earrings are old and difficult to see in the photos but they are gold filigree in a teardrop shape with tiny orange stones along the bottom of the droplet, another perfect match with this sunshiny outfit.

I will admit that this cheery ensemble really lifted my spirits. I felt light and airy and bright on a cold and dreary mid-winter’s day. While this outfit may not be appropriate for any kind of royal celebration, it is perfectly appropriate for celebrating a happy life, don’t you think? Do you have any outfits that have the ability to super charge your mood? Those are really good outfits so you should remember and repeat them!

I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of this painting and feel inspired to play along! Be sure to check out Salazar’s interpretation of the artwork as well as Marsha’s take on it. If you would like to participate in this challenge and have your photo included in Salazar’s round up post on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, be sure to email your photos to her by Tuesday, January 30, 2024, by 10:00 p.m. EST. I am excited to see what you all style!

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Joining with these Fabulous Link Parties.

Outfit Details: Dress-Thrifted (Zara) / Turtleneck and Velvet Kimono Robe-Target / Butterfly Kimono Wrap and Hat-Wona Trading / Necklace-Boutique in Asheville, North Carolina / Earrings-Old / Boots-Shoe Dazzle