The Fin de Siècle: 1890s & Late Victorian Culture

What is important, then, is not that the critic should possess a correct abstract definition of beauty for the intellect, but a certain kind of temperament, the power of being deeply moved by the presence of beautiful objects.

Walter Pater, The Renaissance: Studies in Art and Poetry (Oxford World’s Classics).

This is striking example of one of the Beggarstaff Brother’s poster designs from 1895. The Beggarstaffs were comprised of British illustrator Sir William Nicholson and graphic artist James Pryde. You can see more of their work in the book, The Beggarstaff Posters: The Work of James Pryde and William Nicholson.

projectgutenberg:

Pan stalked into the library and choosing, cat-like, the one spot he should have kept away from, curled up on a handsome book that was lying open on the table and forgot his troubles in sleep.

- Elizabeth Bonsall (illustrator) and Mabel Humphrey, The Book of the Cat (1903) [full text]

Another book to add to the must-read list: The Banquet Years: The Origins of the Avant-Garde in France - 1885 to World War I.

József Rippl-Rónai was a Hungarian post-impressionist associated with the avant-garde group, Les Nabis. Most of his paintings can be seen at the Hungarian National Gallery in Budapest. For more on Ronai and his work, visit here.