Fairy Round

Fascinating exhibition at Tate Britain looking at how artists have represented the idea of fairies.

The show saw this phenomena as starting in the 18th century with the popularisation of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and their pictures have framed how we see fairies today. This was partly due to the opening of a Shakespeare gallery by John Boyden in 1789. Their popularity continued into the 19th century with the growth of industrialisation. This period also saw the first fairy stories aimed at children.

There were some fun works in this display from a suitable weird Fuseli of Titania and Bottom, through Landseer’s “The Defeat of Camus” commissioned by Prince Albert for a garden pavilion at Buckingham Palace, some of the infamous Elsie Wright photographs and even a Turner of  Queen Mabb’s Cave. I loved this charming picture from 1819 by Henry Singleton “Ariel on a Bat’s Back”.

Closes 27 September 2022

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