Once Upon a Time: Victorian Fairy Pictures

Fairy lore transported the Victorians from the mundane into the romantic world of the supernatural.

“Hermia and Lysander, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,'” 1870, by John Simmons. Watercolor heightened with gouache on paper laid down on canvas; 36 inches by 29 inches. Private Collection. Public Domain

The fascination with fairies and their folkloric tales has a long and rich history, particularly in Great Britain.

During the Victorian era, fairy pictures became an art genre all their own. Much of this fairy enthrallment, which began in the mid-19th century, was fueled by societal changes. In the face of scientific advancements and industrialization, people’s interest in a spirit world, in addition to the natural world, increased.