Venus and Cupid, the Rokeby Venus

Venus and Cupid by Diego Valazquez. The painting is variously known as The Toilet of Venus, Venus at her Mirror and The Rokeby Venus after Rokeby Park in Yorkshire where the painting was first hung after being brought to England. The Spanish Inquisition were active during the period in which Velazquez painted, few Spanish nudes were painted and few have survived.

In 1914 the painting was damaged with a cleaver by the Canadian Suffragette Mary Richardson, she said about the act “I have tried to destroy the picture of the most beautiful woman in mythological history as a protest against the Government for destroying Mrs Pankhurst, who is the most beautiful character in modern history. Justice is an element of beauty as much as colour and outline on canvas. Mrs Pankhurst seeks to procure justice for womanhood, and for this she is being slowly murdered by a Government of Iscariot politicians. If there is an outcry against my deed, let every one remember that such an outcry is an hypocrisy so long as they allow the destruction of Mrs Pankhurst and other beautiful living women, and that until the public cease to countenance human destruction the stones cast against me for the destruction of this picture are each an evidence against them of artistic as well as moral and political humbug and hypocrisy."

Richardson went on to join Oswald Mosley’s British Union of Facists and rose to become head of the women’s section of the movement.



Her Children Shall Rise Up And Call Her Blessed

"Votes for Working Women," Suffragette (7 Jan 1913).


http://www.dhr.history.vt.edu/modules/eu/mod02_vote/evidence_detail_10.html

Women's Suffrage

Image by Leo Reynolds via FlickrFellow men! why should the lords try to despise
And prohibit women from having the benefit of the parliamentary Franchise?
When they pay the same taxes as you and me,
I consider they ought to have the same liberty.

And I consider if they are not allowed the same liberty,
From taxation every one of them should be set free;
And if they are not, it is really very unfair,
And an act of injustice I most solemnly declare.

Women, farmers, have no protection as the law now stands;
And many of them have lost their property and lands,
And have been turned out of their beautiful farms
By the unjust laws of the land and the sheriffs' alarms.

And in my opinion, such treatment is very cruel;
And fair play, 'tis said, is a precious jewel;
But such treatment causes women to fret and to dote,
Because they are deprived of the parliamentary Franchise vote.

In my opinion, what a man pays for he certainly should get;
And if he does not, he will certainly fret;
And why wouldn't women do the very same?
Therefore, to demand the parliamentary Franchise they are not to blame.

Therefore let them gather, and demand the parliamentary Franchise;
And I'm sure no reasonable man will their actions despise,
For trying to obtain the privileges most unjustly withheld from them;
Which Mr. Gladstone will certainly encourage and never condemn.

And as for the working women, many are driven to the point of starvation,
All through the tendency of the legislation;
Besides, upon members of parliament they have no claim
As a deputation, which is a very great shame.

Yes, the Home Secretary of the present day,
Against working women's deputations, has always said- nay;
Because they haven't got the parliamentary Franchise-,
That is the reason why he does them despise.

And that, in my opinion, is really very unjust;
But the time is not far distant, I most earnestly trust,
When women will have a parliamentary vote,
And many of them, I hope, will wear a better petticoat.

And I hope that God will aid them in this enterprise,
And enable them to obtain the parliamentary Franchise;
And rally together, and make a bold stand,
And demand the parliamentary Franchise throughout Scotland.

And do not rest day nor night-
Because your demands are only right
In the eyes of reasonable men, and God's eyesight;
And Heaven, I'm sure, will defend the right.

Therefore go on brave women! and never fear,
Although your case may seem dark and drear,
And put your trust in God, for He is strong;
And ye will gain the parliamentary Franchise before very long.

- the late, great, hilarious William Topaz McGonagall, widely regarded as the worst writer of poetry in English or any other language, perhaps the Suffragette movement would have been better off with him opposing them.

Argument

THE POEM (Written during the lent term of 1905)

At Ashburne there is a Society

Which has rapidly gained notoriety,
It's name I can state with propriety, -

Argument

We meet after Punch on a Saturday

With tea and sweet cakes we're a party gay,

Instead of elicit chatting as Students may,

Argument

We talk of meetings Political

And all of us soon are so critical

Our speeches become analytical

Argument

The Signs of our age are Synthetical,

Do you call Walt Whitman poetical?

My theory is not hypothetical

Argument

 

We talk of the Status of human kind

Of Suffrage, and greatness of human mind

Equality, love, but we always find

Argument

If we began all our talks at the break of day

They'd continue till after the Sun's last ray

As we get into bed, the last word we say

Argument!

Image by Leo Reynolds via Flickr

A.J.T. (Alice Jane Taylor) - Turner took the married name of Alison Uttley and wrote the children's stories Little Grey Rabbit and Sam Pig.