Artistic Dorset - John Constable

John Constable first visited Dorset in 1816 as the the guest of his close friend Reverend Fisher (later Bishop of Salisbury) who officiated at his marriage.

Weymouth Bay from the Downs

Fisher then invited the newly weds to honeymoon at his vicarage in Osmington Mills. 

View of Weymouth from the downs today

"...My house commands a singularly beautiful view, and you may study from your very window. You shall have a plate set by the side of your easel, without your sitting down to dinner. We never see company, and I have brushes paints and canvas in abundance.

Of an evening, we sit over our autumnal fireside, read a sensible book, perhaps a sermon, and after prayers, get us to bed..."

View of Osmington by Constable

The couple spent six memorable weeks there with Constable producing many sketches some of which he went on to finish in oils.

In 1820 and 1823 Constable again visited Dorset as the guest of Fisher who was now vicar of Gillingham where he painted his celebrated view of Gillingham Mill.

Capturing Dorset- J.W.T. Turner

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A surprising number of celebrated artists have visited Dorset over the centuries ( That isn't an invitation Damien...) 

Turner was a prolific painter and made many painting tours throughout Britain and the Continent.

Lyme Bay

He travelled almost every year and in 1811 toured the southwest producing a series of paintings which in turn were reproduced as a book of engravings entitled 'Picturesque Views of the Southern Coast of England.'

Poole Harbour

 While in Dorset, he painted many of the landmarks still recognisable today; including Corfe Castle, Lulworth Cove, Poole Harbour, Lyme Regis and Weymouth.

Weymouth Bay

The Lord, the artist and the god of love

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In North Dorset stands the village of Wimborne St Giles. Thatched cottages, a 16thC

Almshouses and church of Wimborne St Giles

almshouse and a splendid church surround a pretty green.
It's hard to connect this peaceful scene with roar and bustle of London’s Piccadilly Circus. Both places, though, are forever linked to one of Victorian Britain's great philanthropists, Anthony Ashley, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. The surrounding lands are the ancient seat of the Shaftesburys, and Wimborne St Giles their estate village, which explains the church's unusual opulence and worth a visit in its own right.

7th Earl of Shaftesbury

The death of the Earl, in 1893, ended an illustrious parliamentary career devoted to fighting the terrible abuses of child labour. While his burial took place in Wimborne St Giles, it was decided to erect a separate monument in Piccadilly, London.

So far, so good, but few predicted the controversy such a relatively simple plan would cause.

The sculptor chosen was Sir Albert Gilbert. The brief, to avoid a conventional commemorative statue. Gilbert, though, became dogged by persistent interference from the steering committee who ended up wanting, the very thing they'd briefed him against, a statue. 

Albert Gilbert

After another change of heart the committee finally demanded the memorial take the form of a fountain. To make matters worse, the London District Council would only supply water to the fountain if it had a useful  function. The resulting compromise transformed  Gilbert's work of art not only into an ornamental fountain but one boasting a two level drinking fountain; serving not just the public, but animals as well. Further interference made the bowl of the fountain too small, with the effect of that the water jets drenched passers-by.

Gilbert's finale was to top the fountain with a winged statue representing the god of selfless love, a naked Anteros delicately balanced on one foot and loosing an arrow. This was was immediately criticised as un-Christian and sensual which meant that the artist was forced to rebrand it as being symbolic of Christian charity.

When at last the completed edifice was unveiled in Piccadilly Circus, the artist was no longer on speaking terms with the committee refusing to attend the opening ceremony.

Contemporary opinions ranged from ecstatic, ‘the finest monument the metropolis possesses,'... to condemnation, ' indecent or downright dingy’- there were even calls for the completed monument to be melted down.

Sir Albert Gilbert’s troubles didn’t end there, the innumerable changes had doubled the costs leaving him facing financial ruin and forcing him to flee the country to escape his creditors. When he finally returned Sir George found that his reviled creation had, for some inexplicable reason, found a place in the hearts of the nation, where it remains to this day.

Nowadays, the monument's fame far overshadows the man it commemorated, while the controversy surrounding its inception is long forgotten.

In an ironic twist, Anteros, who sits atop the monument has become confused with his brother Eros, god of carnal love...far removed from the high church sentiments of Lord Salisbury....And as for the Wimborne St Giles, Lord Shaftesbury’s last resting place? ...Well,  it’s probably an old wives’ tale, but Eros is supposedly aiming his arrow straight towards the village green.

Almost Dorset- Church of All Saints, Sutton Bingham

Just across the Dorset border in Somerset close to the reservoir of Sutton Bingham there stands the tiny church of All Saints.

 

Sutton Bingham is mainly known for its pretty reservoir and the birds it attracts. The church hides almost unnoticed at the end of a narrow lane just a stones-throw from the lake, its humble exterior giving no hint of the riches hidden inside.

Acclimatising to the gloom you become slowly become aware that the interior is richly decorated with medieval paintings   dating from the 13th and 14th centuries. Whitewashed over during the reformation they were only rediscovered in the 1860's. They looked particularly beautiful the day I visited. Bright sunlight shone, throwing lattice patterns across these ancient artworks.

The most noteworthy is painted on the north wall of the nave, and shows two scenes from the death of the Virgin, while through the beautifullypreserved Norman chancel arch is a scene of the crowning of the Virgin. Painted figures even decorate the window reveals. It is a timeless moment especially so when in a museum such venerable art would be securely behind glass.

Crowning of the Virgin

Outside take yet more time out for contemplation.

 Of the two bells hanging in the open belfry, the right hand bell has been dated to 1250 and is believed to have been cast by an itinerant bell founder on this very spot 750 years ago. The other bell is but a fresh faced youngster and dates from 1688.

Sartorial of Dorset

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Fashion isn't just the preserve of a few luvvies in the big cities, you know... Dorset dwellers are completely au fait with cat  walks; while our dog walks remain perennially popular.
This particularly debonair fashionista was named Harry Good and was portrayed by Robert Byng in the1720's modelling this rather modish get-up.
Here Harry cleverly combines Dorset style with Dorset practicality.
Harry was a gamekeeper on Cranborne Chase, North Dorset; famed in those days for deer hunting and more to the point, deer poaching. His chic, understated headwear and stick was a response to the increasingly violent confrontations that took place gamekeeper and gamesnaffler on the Chase.

...It never caught on

Dorset shops- Harris's of Dorchester

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Forget that Porsche...what really makes an arty-types's heart beat faster is a well stocked, voluptuous art shop, and they don't come more voluptuous than Harrises of Dorchester. 

It is an exuberant, eclectic and eccentric riot of a shop and if anyone was ever tasked with stocktaking, they must have shot themselves long ago. 

If there's no method there's certainly a deal of of madness; doll's eyeballs jostle with pom poms, glitter sparkles beside ersatz diamonds and rubies (I think they're fake..), gouache vies with oils, inks, balsa and battle ships and that's just the ground floor taken care of. Upstairs is weavers nirvanah and spinner's paradise while finally should you fancy a bit of soul saving rather than soul searching  there is a well stocked room of Christian literature and DVD's (obviously...)

Dorset detail 3-In praise of the hand drawn sign

The age of the unsophisticated sign is on the wane.
'Trips round the bay' printed in Gill Sans with a drop shadow...no thanks...!