THE Victorian age, which took place between 1837 and 1901, marks the reign of Queen Victoria in the United Kingdom and a period of great economic, political and cultural transformations.
Also known as the Victorian period, this era is characterized by the consolidation of supremacy. English in the seas, by conquering colonies in Africa and Asia, increasing industries and encouraging Art.
Victorian Era Features
During the Victorian Era, the UK expanded its colonies to Africa and India, as well as the Middle East and parts of Asia. England became the most powerful nation in the world and called itself the British Empire.
The head of the kingdom was Queen Victoria (1819-1901) and her husband Prince Albert (1819-1861). Both consecrated the model of exemplary parents, devout Christians, and impartial sovereigns in political affairs.
We can summarize this season in some characteristics:
- expansion of British imperialism in Asia and in Africa;
- Perception of social inequalities;
- Creation of aestheticism, of art for art's sake;
- Revolution in public transport with the construction of the first trains and subways.
- invention of photography, from the postage stamp, electricity, Telegraph, telephone, etc.
- Emergence of the stereotype of polite, Christian English, engaged in some philanthropic society and emotionally controlled. This idealization was the counterpoint to compare himself to the colonized.
However, critics note that the Victorian Era represented the consecration of conservative and hypocritical thought. While the bourgeoisie paraded the latest fashion through the streets of London, thousands of workers died of tuberculosis in unhealthy homes.
Literature
The top names in Victorian literature are oscar wilde, George Eliot, Charles Dickens and sisters Charlotte, Emily and Anne Brontë.
The literature of the period can be divided between novels that narrated the tastes and habits of the bourgeoisie that got richer and authors who devoted themselves to science fiction.
One of the writers who captured the contradictions of the Victorian Era was the novelist Charles Dickens (1812-1870), whose introduction to his book "A tale between two cities" summarizes these years:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness. It was the time of faith, it was the time of unbelief. It was the season of light, it was the season of darkness. It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. We had everything before us, there was nothing before us. We all went straight to heaven, we all went straight to the other side.
Dickens would show the hard daily life of working-class children in his work "Oliver Twist".
We highlight the authors who dedicated themselves to writing horror and suspense stories such as Mary Shelley (1797-1850) exploring the limits of science in her work "Frankenstein".
Also from this time is the famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Watson, by Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), who roamed London's dark streets to unravel crimes.
Fashion
The new code of moral conduct for women and men was reflected in fashion. For being a time where modesty and discretion were above all, wigs and heavy makeup are left out.
Let's see how women and men dressed in the Victorian Era:
Women
The dresses covered the woman's entire body and it was very bad taste to let her ankle or cleavage show.
Corsets and corsets are the key pieces of Victorian fashion, but they ended up restricting women's movements. The full dresses, with up to 20 layers of fabric, weighed up to 15 kilos.
Only at dances or at nightly social gatherings such as opera or theater, women could show their arms, shoulders, the back of their necks and also their laps, through a discreet cleavage.
Accessories such as fans, veils, hats, gloves, parasols and shawls fostered the women's fashion industry and were essential to compose the look that demanded the time.
Men
Victorian style dictated that men should seek comfort with elegance, and the point of reference was to dress like Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. Straight pants that facilitated movement and discreet pieces, in dark colors, vest and coat.
The hat was a must-have, and uncovering the head at the right times, such as in front of a lady or an official, was part of etiquette. As a symbol of wealth, the pocket watch was essential.
To counteract the 18th century style, beards, mustaches and sideburns were well seen and were part of men's toilette. Equally, canes were popular, even among the youngest, who used them to gain more respectability.
Architecture
Architecture in the Victorian Era is vast and varied from country to country. However, we observe the constant use of two materials that are the result of Second Industrial Revolution: iron and glass.
We can highlight the “crystal palaces” as a symbol of this period. The Crystal Palace in London was built to house the Great Exhibition of 1851 where products from twenty-five countries were exhibited. The architectural style was replicated in several places, including Brazil, where an example was built in Petrópolis.
The Victorian style of the houses of the wealthy classes consists of roofs that have a triangle shape on the facade and large windows with curtains. These are usually houses built in the middle of the land, so that you can cultivate a garden and, in some cases, vegetable gardens.
The living room was the quintessential sociability space and was furnished with a piano, comfortable chairs and sideboards so guests could rest their cups of tea.
News such as electricity and running water were being incorporated into homes. Thus, a new room appears in homes: the bathroom.
Workers in the Victorian Era
The Victorian period is called by the British the Era of Peace and Prosperity, as the United Kingdom came to dominate a quarter of the world.
With the industrialization, production expanded and food supply grew. There is, then, an increase in birth rates and health standards. The population grows, going from 13.8 million inhabitants in 1831 to 32.5 million in 1901.
This prosperity, however, was not available to everyone. There was a great famine in Ireland in the years 1845-1847, which forced a third of its population to immigrate.
Likewise, the working classes lived in miserable conditions and life expectancy was only 37 years in 1837 rising to 48 years in 1901. Despite all the campaigns carried out against child labour, it was only in 1847 that it was decided that children and adults should not work more than 10 hours a day.
The unions started to demand improvements in the workers' conditions. Therefore, charitable societies led by churches and members of the nobility multiply to remedy infant mortality, education and poor hygiene.
read more:
- neocolonialism
- UK
- Imperialism in Africa
- King Arthur
- Sherlock Holmes: biography and trivia
