The Song of the Shirt by Anna Blunden - 1854 - 47 x 39.4 cm Yale Center for British Art The Song of the Shirt by Anna Blunden - 1854 - 47 x 39.4 cm Yale Center for British Art

The Song of the Shirt

Oil on canvas • 47 x 39.4 cm
  • Anna Blunden - December 22, 1829 - 1915 Anna Blunden 1854

This is how I look today, waiting for 2024 to be over. 

Just kidding! But if you feel tired of 2024, feel free to empathize with this scene.  :D

The author of this painting, Anna Blunden, initially worked as a governess but left to attend art school after reading the first volume of John Ruskin’s influential Modern Painters (1843). Inspired by Ruskin, a strong critic of emerging industrial capitalism who influenced figures as diverse as Cardinal Henry Edward Manning and Oscar Wilde, Blunden embraced his ideas. Her painting reflects Ruskin’s concerns about the dehumanizing effects of modern urbanization, capturing the difficult realities faced by workers who came to London for employment, only to encounter the pollution and poverty of the Industrial Revolution. This was Blunden’s first publicly exhibited work, shown at the Society of British Artists in 1854, accompanied by a quote from Thomas Hood’s poem, The Song of the Shirt. The lines evoke the voice of a “weary and worn” seamstress, longing for the simplicity of her countryside youth: “For only one short hour / To feel as I used to feel, / Before I knew the woes of want, / And the walk that costs a meal!”.

Have a great Saturday, everyone!

P.S. And if you want to welcome 2025 with some glorious art, don't miss the last copies of our lovely paper calendars (which feature works of amazing women artists) currently on 25% sale!  :)

P.P.S If you're looking for some fun during the holidays, we're here to help you! Take our quizzes and test your knowledge of art history! Choose from Manet vs Monet QUIZ, Nude in Art, or Contemporary Art Masterpieces! If you want more, see the quizzes below.