Decorative Arts and Embroidery
In A Scandalous Kind of Duke, Leopold Halton, the Duke of Dammerton, has a fondness for embroidered waistcoats and supports English artisans who make decorative objects.
Here is a sample of decorative objects and embroidery from the time. The waistcoats are mostly from late 18th century France. The decorative objects are mostly made in England, dating around late 18th to early 19th centuries.
Spot the interloper! Aidan Turner as Dante Rossetti in the BBC television show Desperate Romantics, which is set in 1851, so some 30 years later than my novels, but it’s still useful research, right? (Plus, pretty waistcoat!)
Scenes from a London art studio
For a glimpse of an artist’s studio in London, here are drawings of Thomas Lawrence’s studio, private sitting room, and showroom.
(In A Scandalous Kind of Duke, Juno’s sitting room doubles as her showroom.)
These are all taken from the website of the National Portrait Gallery in London, which has a lot of practical information about the life of a professional artist.
