Style Imitating Art: “The White Rabbit”

Style Imitating Art…

Welcome to Style Imitating Art which comes from Salazar, Shelbee, and me. You can think of this series as fashion meets art museum! SIA challenges people to find inspiration in different art works, create looks based upon that art work, and share them with the curator for that piece. Shelbee is this week’s curator with these two drawings from John Tenniel. You probably recognize them from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. I hope you enjoy this post, the information, and my interpretation.

How it works…

Every other Monday one of us selects an inspiration piece of art and posts the image on their blog. We then invite others to interpret that art work through their style. The following Monday, we share our outfits. The curator shares submissions the following Wednesday on her blog. Shelbee chose this week’s art work for this round of Style Imitating Art. If you’d like, you can read why she chose it here. Please send your photo to Shelbee by Tuesday, March 25th, 2025 by 10 pm EST. Style Imitating Art is an interesting way to inspire your outfits. You can see a few of my looks here, here, here, and here.

About the artist…

Sir John Tenniel was born on February 28^th, 1820 in Bayswater, West London.  His parents, John Baptist and Eliza Maria, had six children in all.  Our John Tenniel was a quiet boy who grew up to be known and beloved by many.  He remained an introverted person even though his cartoons spoke quite loudly.   Tenniel was fencing with his father in 1840 when his father’s foil, which had lost his protective tip, wounded Tenniel’s right eye.  Eventually, he lost more and more sight in that eye.  His father never knew as Tenniel did not want to upset him. 

A little more…

At some point, Tenniel was admitted to the Royal Academy of Arts because he had completed admission requirements.  I found different dates for his admission.  I also don’t know that he completed his education there.  He is considered an alumnus, but one wonders (see what I did there) if that was more due to his success as an illustrator and cartoonist.  Academies were known for subscribing to specific ways of painting and sculpting.  Since Tenniel disagreed with many of these specific ways, he decided to educate himself.  He did this by painting and drawing statues and illustrations he found in his world.  In addition, Tenniel would paint animals at the zoo and actors in the London theatres.  In doing this, he developed an eye for detail.  One thing I discovered was Tenniel had a photographic memory and could draw from memory.  This may have led to his disillusion with those restrictions placed upon him at the Academy. 

Even more…

Tenniel would hone his artistic style by participating in artists’ groups.  These groups were also free of those rules and static means of teaching so common to the Academy.  At some time in the 1840s, Tenniel joined the Artist’s Society or Clipstone Street Life Academy.  It was here his satirical career was fostered.  Some of his early undertakings were the illustrations of Samuel Carter Hall’s The Book of British Balllads.  Tenniel had planned to enter an illustration for the new Palace of Westminster, but he missed the deadline.  He still submitted a 16 foot (4.9m) cartoon, An Allegory of Justice, to a different competition for designs for mural decorations at the Palace of Westminster.  He received £200 to paint a fresco in the Upper Waiting Hall in the House of Lords.  

Still more…

At some point, Tenniel became a cartoonist for Punch magazine.  “He furthered political and social reform through satirical, often radical, and at times vitriolic images of the world (source).”  He, along with John Leech, were the joint cartoonists for the magazine, but Tenniel eventually took over the “Big Cut,” a weekly drawing having to do with the politics of the day.  When Leech died in 1864, Tenniel continued their work as political cartoonists.  He was against Irish nationalization and portrayed the Irish people quite unkindly.  Tenniel’s cartoons portrayed the Irish nationalists as sub-human with the nation of Ireland appearing as a helpless young woman often turning to a more powerful “older sister, Britannia” waiting to rescue her.

“When examined separately from the book illustrations he did over time, Tenniel’s work at Punch alone, expressing decades of editorial viewpoints, often controversial and socially sensitive, was created to echo the voices of the British public (source).”

A skosh more…

Tenniel drew 2,165 cartoons for Punch alone.  In addition, he produced 2,300 cartoons, countless minor drawings, and 250 designs for Punch’s Pocket-books.  Of course, we all know Tenniel for his drawings in the Alice books.  Surprisingly, he only created 92 drawings for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There!  Lewis Carroll originally drew the illustrations in Wonderland, but his drawings weren’t anywhere near as good as his writing!  Luckily, Orlando Jewitt, an engraver who had worked for Carroll suggested he find a professional.  Carroll read Punch so he was fully aware of Tenniel.  In 1865, the two men met, and Tenniel illustrated the first edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. 

A bit more…

How lucky are we that Jewitt convinced Carroll to employ someone else.  Can you even think of the Alice books without seeing Tenniel’s drawings?  Bryan Talbot, a comic book illustrator and writer, said, “Carroll never describes the Mad Hatter; our image of him is pure Tenniel.”  And, with the exception of Tim Burton’s Mad Hatter, I can never see the Mad Hatter as anything other than Tenniel’s version.   I had to chuckle when I read that Tenniel didn’t like the print quality of the books so the first print run of 2,000 was sold in the US!  When a new edition was produced in December, 1865, it became an instant bestseller.  Following the production of the Alice illustrations, Tenniel didn’t do any more literary illustrations. 

Finally…

The actual illustrations were created using block prints by the Brothers Dalziel.  These were the masters for the electrotype copies for the actual books.  Those original wood blocks are in the Bodleian Library in Oxford and are not usually on public display.  They were, however, exhibited in 2003.  Lewis Carroll was the pen name of Charles Dodgson.  Dodgson was a mathematical don at Christ Church, a college at the University of Oxford.  And, that is why the blocks are at a library in Oxford!  In addition, the Alice in Wonderland sculpture in Central Park is based on Tenniel’s illustrations.  In 1893, Tenniel was knighted by Queen Victoria for his public service.  This was the first time an illustrator or cartoonist received this honor. 

“His fellows saw his knighthood as gratitude for ‘raising what had been a fairly lowly profession to an unprecedented level of respectability.’  With his knighthood, Tenniel elevated the social status of the black-and-white illustrator and sparked a new sense of recognition of his profession. When he retired in January 1901, Tenniel was honored with a farewell banquet at which Arthur Balfour, then Leader of the House of Commons, presided, and described Tenniel as ‘a great artist and a great gentleman (source)’”. 

Tenniel died of natural causes on February 25^th, 1914.  He would have been 94 years old three days later.  He is buried in Kensal Green Cemetery in London. 

The art work…

Shelbee presented us with two different images. Both images are currently in the possession of the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City. The first is a sketch, measuring 6 1/4 x 5 3/8 inches (159 x 137 mm). It’s done on paper with graphite, pen and brown ink. There are extraneous brush trials in watercolor in the lower right corner. This was a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Gale. Prior to the Gales, the print was owned by Charles Dodgson. It is one of three preparatory illustrations for the Clarendon Press first edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It’s signed with Tenniel’s initials in the lower left though they don’t appear on our image. This illustration appears on the very first page of the book!

The second image appeared in The Nursery “Alice.” It is a hand colored proof and measures 6 x 3 7/8 inches (152 x 99 mm). Beyond that, I couldn’t find any information about the materials used. The print was gifted to the museum in 1987 by Arthur A. Houghton, Jr. Prior to that, it was owned by Dodgson and was part of the Lewis Carroll Collection. The print was part of an exhibition, “Alice: 150 Years of Wonderland,” at the Morgan Library & Museum from June 26th until October 12th, 2015.

My interpretation…

This was really tough for me! I don’t have anything with rabbits on it. I thought about going with something Easter-ish. But, that seemed like cheating. I walked into my closet just looking for something or anything that might come close to the color picture of the “White Rabbit.” And, then my eye landed on this reversible skirt. It had been hanging in my closet with the other side out. So, continuing with my Daenelization, I’m wearing this beautiful wrap skirt. I’m not sure where it’s from, but I’m fairly certain it’s two recycled saris. I thought the smaller print did a pretty good job of mimicking the print of the rabbit’s coat. I decided a denim shirt would be the perfect way to pick up on the “White Rabbit’s” blue ascot. I should have, maybe, pulled on a pair of white leggings, right?

The Lewk!

If these look familiar, it’s because I have the Astarr Sandals by L’Artiste in the blue color. When they went on sale with an additional percentage off, I snapped up this camel pair. I have to relearn how to walk in heels because I’ve been wearing flat boots all winter long. The necklace and earrings are from last year (I think) at J Jill.

Wrap it up, Marsha!

I think Tenniel’s illustrations were key to the success of the Alice books.  One of the interesting things about the illustrations was the placement of the drawing.  Often, the drawing would be placed between two sentences in order to emphasize Tenniel’s illustration.  Other unusual placements were along the side with the text running beside it.  Sometimes, the drawings were a specific shape with the words appearing inside or outside that shape. So, can we talk? Have you read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland or Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There? Which of the two illustrations do you prefer? Are there other Tenniel illustrations you like better? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.

Don’t forget…

If you want to be included in the Style Imitating Art round up, send Shelbee your photo by 10:00 pm EST Tuesday, March 25th. Photos of everyone participating will appear on her blog on Wednesday, March 26th! If you’re interested in join us, consider all of your options…the colors, the lines, the memories they evoke! Come on, give it a try! I think you’ll love it!

Thank you!

I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for reading, commenting, subscribing or emailing! It truly means so much to me! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.

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Where you can find me:

Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style,  Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!

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