COVE

Laurence Housman’s book of fairy-tales, House of Joy, was released in 1895. This illustration, titled “Syringa” and illustrated by Housman himself, accompanies the short story of the same name. It is a framed inset, black and white wood engraving, and is placed at the very beginning of the story on page 86. The illustration depicts the foster brother of the King sitting next to the titular Syringa, who is laying in the garden before her death sentence.

In illustrating “Syringa,” as well as the other images in House of Joy, two main inspirations guided the style of Housman’s art. One was the Pre-Raphaelites, whose bold and distinct line work informed Housman’s style, in addition to their willingness to take liberties when illustrating a scene from a text. The other factor was Oscar Wilde, whose own collection of fairy-tales, as well as his arrest informed Housman’s work, particularly Wilde’s A House of Pomegranates, which Housman is in dialogue with in House of Joy.

As previously noted, this illustration takes place prior to Syringa’s intended execution. In this illustration, there is a distinct contrast between the two characters. Although both are depicted in a Pre-Raphaelite style, Syringa is depicted with noticeably fewer and softer lines, while her executioner is depicted with harsh and more pronounce etching. This creates a distinct dichotomy between the two characters. Syringa is shown as pure and innocent, while her executioner, on the other hand, is cast in shadow, highlighting his moral confusion on whether performing the execution is the right thing to do. This is heightened by their stances, with Syringa calmly sleeping and the executioner awkwardly hunched over. The background of the image is incredibly detailed and densely illustrated. The background is overrun with nature, with trees, flowers, and pedals dominating much of the illustration. This compositional choice highlights Syringa’s connection to nature, and illustrates the tale’s metaphorical use of this connection to nature as a trait of purity and goodness. The notable exception to this is in the top left corner of the image, which Housman leaves open from this dense nature. Instead, there is a winding river that leads to the horizon, with the sky visible. These types of paths leading to the background are common throughout almost all of Housman’s images in House of Joy, symbolizing the potential pathway for the characters towards a brighter, happier future.

Sources:

Kooistra, Lorraine Janzen. Oscar Wilde and Cultures of Childhood, "Wilde's Legacy: Laurence Housman, Fairy Tales, and 'Beautiful Untrue Things'" pp. 89-118.

"Laurence Housman on the Pre-Raphaelite Illustration." Victorian Web, 9 May. 2015, http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/housman/prb.html

"Syringa." Victorian Web, 19 Nov. 2012, http://www.victorianweb.org/art/illustration/housman/63.html