Lister's 1830's
Charlotte Lister
Charlotte's shoot illustrates the emotions of a younger sibling and the jealousy, rivalry and pressure when it comes to securing an eligible man of high status.
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The style chosen for Charlotte indicate towards a woman of high social status dressed appropriately for the daytime in accordance with Biedermeier trends.
Makeup for Charlotte was subtle and in keeping with the trends of the Biedermeier era, following the post-French Revolution, there was an ideal of pale beauty for it was considered most natural. Portrait painting were popular during this period with women being their muses being seen as weak and delicate with this being reflective in their appearance. Products included a light powder or grounded pearl for the wealthy upper class. Also referred to as the romantic era this was reflected in a subtle rouge along with large eyes which were enhanced by poisonous belladonna. Finally, a mouth which was small and delicate was preferred.
Adelaide Lister
As Adelaide is the older sister within this shoot, the aim was to portray her happiness in courting an eligible Earl and being the first daughter to be within a courtship. The styling of Adelaide contrasts to her sister Charlotte and aims to display the extravagance of the era and how one would dress for formal occasions or evening balls. Her makeup was very similar to Charlotte’s following the trend of the era, the main difference was the shade of lipstick which was a match to the shade of pink in her dress.
1st Earl John Russel
Inspiration for 1st Earl John Russell was directly taken from of portraits of him at the time, he was a highly eligible match for Adelaide as he became Prime minister of Great Britain in 1846. His portraits featured a strong jawline paired with a set of textured sideburns and dark brown hair. For this model, a wig was used in addition to his natural hair for during this period men wore their hair long in length and often was exposed under the broad of a hat.
Makeup was minimal and consisted of skin correction and filling of the eyebrows.
Adelaide and Charlotte Lister
The contrast in the silhouette of clothing is indicative of the impression Adelaide is trying to impose on the Earl, whereas Charlotte is slightly more casual and in line with typical daytime clothing of the Biedermeier era. Alongside these differences were displayed through their hair for Charlotte is wearing a casual style conveying the styles women wore day to day of an updo with braids and loops with curls on either side of the head. Adelaide’s hair is reflective of the trends worn for evening balls or special occasions to showcase a more elaborate style of the Apollo Knot and accessories often paired with it.
Using real-life portraits of Charlotte and Adelaide the hair and makeup was created as realistically as possible in terms of wig colours and costume styling. To further reflect the portraits Adelaide’s hair was directly inspired by a style of curls resting across the forehead which allowed Charlotte to demonstrate the clear centre parting which was a highly favoured trend.
Adelaide, Charlotte and 1st Earl John Russell
During the Biedermeier era when within a courtship it was vital to have a chaperone present, this was often a family member or a servant. To present a realistic reflection of 19th-century dating, the composition of the images aimed to display the etiquette standards surrounding courtship. This was portrayed by using three models with the character of Charlotte in the background to enforce the rules expected in the era. The contrast with the silhouette and hairstyle of Charlotte was designed to try and have her fade into the background of the picture this was supported by the shade of her dress which was understated and plain in comparison to the print and hoop skirt of Adelaide’s.
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