Print: "The Force of Example or Jenny Lind at a Twelfth Night Party"
1840 – 1850 (Date manufactured/created)
6.25 in H
X
8 in W
Measurement Notes: Framed item.
Print featuring Swedish soprano Jenny Lind standing amidst a party gathered around a table upon which there is a very large white mound, presumed to be a Twelfth Night cake of exceptional proportions.
The imagery has a cartoon-like style, and suggests a comic or humorous meaning. The famous puppet character Mr. Punch stands at the back, holding a club or stick in his outstretched arm as if to ensure that all present joined in song. Punch was famous for whacking other puppet characters, and gleefully crowing, "That's the way to do it!" The exact meaning of the title, "The Force of Example or Jenny Lind at a Twelfth Night Party," is unknown but likely refers to Punch as the "force of example" coercing even the most reluctant or unlikely creature (the dog, cat, kitten, and caged bird) to sing.
In the Christian religion, Twelfth Night is traditionally celebrated on the eve of the Epiphany (January 6th) or on the evening of January 6th, depending upon whether Christmas Day is counted as Day One. Merrymaking, including singing, was part of the tradition. In this scene, young and old, male and female, and even pets join in song with Jenny Lind. A special cake is a focus of the festivities, and such cakes could be quite large. Traditionally a bean and a pea (or ring or other small trinket) were added to the batter and baked into the cake, to be discovered by a lucky guest who became the King or Queen for the night. The cake could be a variety of types, typically a dense fruitcake or other "solid" type of cake. This one appears to be covered in white marzipan, a firm icing rolled out in sheets and applied to the cake as a smooth surface, not a fluffy frosting. A royal crown and other decorations are shown on the top of the domed cake, with music as a decorative border all around. The hand-colored print is a lively arrangement of rose reds and pinks, blues, greens, and yellows, and the colors have remained bright.
Jenny Lind is depicted wearing a white skirt and deep red bodice with a wide neckline trimmed with a lace bertha and green ribbon. An oval brooch is pinned at her bosom, and she holds a sheet of music in her hand. Dark hair frames her face, but there is little physical resemblance to Lind's facial features in this depiction. The men's and ladies' fashions and hairstyles suggest this print dates to the 1840s. No artist's name nor date appears on the print.
Jenny Lind (October 6, 1820 - November 2, 1887) was a Swedish opera singer, popularly known as The Swedish Nightingale. The exceptional quality of her voice was recognized when she was young, and she received training at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Sweden, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. She reached high acclaim in Europe, and was especially popular with English audiences prior being engaged by P. T. Barnum to give a concert tour in North America in 1850-1851. Lind, previously unknown in the US, was heavily promoted by Barnum, creating an insatiable demand for concert tickets and the innumerable consumer products that were manufactured with her name or general likeness. "Lindmania" took hold of the popular imagination and continued for decades though Lind's time in America was relatively short.
The imagery has a cartoon-like style, and suggests a comic or humorous meaning. The famous puppet character Mr. Punch stands at the back, holding a club or stick in his outstretched arm as if to ensure that all present joined in song. Punch was famous for whacking other puppet characters, and gleefully crowing, "That's the way to do it!" The exact meaning of the title, "The Force of Example or Jenny Lind at a Twelfth Night Party," is unknown but likely refers to Punch as the "force of example" coercing even the most reluctant or unlikely creature (the dog, cat, kitten, and caged bird) to sing.
In the Christian religion, Twelfth Night is traditionally celebrated on the eve of the Epiphany (January 6th) or on the evening of January 6th, depending upon whether Christmas Day is counted as Day One. Merrymaking, including singing, was part of the tradition. In this scene, young and old, male and female, and even pets join in song with Jenny Lind. A special cake is a focus of the festivities, and such cakes could be quite large. Traditionally a bean and a pea (or ring or other small trinket) were added to the batter and baked into the cake, to be discovered by a lucky guest who became the King or Queen for the night. The cake could be a variety of types, typically a dense fruitcake or other "solid" type of cake. This one appears to be covered in white marzipan, a firm icing rolled out in sheets and applied to the cake as a smooth surface, not a fluffy frosting. A royal crown and other decorations are shown on the top of the domed cake, with music as a decorative border all around. The hand-colored print is a lively arrangement of rose reds and pinks, blues, greens, and yellows, and the colors have remained bright.
Jenny Lind is depicted wearing a white skirt and deep red bodice with a wide neckline trimmed with a lace bertha and green ribbon. An oval brooch is pinned at her bosom, and she holds a sheet of music in her hand. Dark hair frames her face, but there is little physical resemblance to Lind's facial features in this depiction. The men's and ladies' fashions and hairstyles suggest this print dates to the 1840s. No artist's name nor date appears on the print.
Jenny Lind (October 6, 1820 - November 2, 1887) was a Swedish opera singer, popularly known as The Swedish Nightingale. The exceptional quality of her voice was recognized when she was young, and she received training at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Sweden, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Music. She reached high acclaim in Europe, and was especially popular with English audiences prior being engaged by P. T. Barnum to give a concert tour in North America in 1850-1851. Lind, previously unknown in the US, was heavily promoted by Barnum, creating an insatiable demand for concert tickets and the innumerable consumer products that were manufactured with her name or general likeness. "Lindmania" took hold of the popular imagination and continued for decades though Lind's time in America was relatively short.
T 2013.034.001