Gothic Horror - The Gothic

Gothic Horror is often referred to as Gothic Fiction - it is a mixture of horror and romance and novels are often set in exotic landscapes and distant times. Gothic Horror originated from a man called Horace Walpole. 

Horrace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford was an English art historian, man of letters, antiquarian and Whigpolitician. He is now largely remembered for Strawberry Hill, the home he built in Twickenham, south-west London where he revived the Gothic style some decades before his Victorian successors, and for his Gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto. Along with the book, his literary reputation rests on his Letters, which are of significant social and political interest.

The Gothic can also refer to a revival in architecture, whereby the buildings became over-the-top and embodied extreme emotions and excessiveness. Gothic architecture is often associated with medieval buildings. It used to be a big part of society, and some would actually send their children off around the would to become educated in culture and also to receive a sense of thrill.

http://smarthistory.edublogs.org/files/2013/03/Awesome-Gothic-Architecture-Characteristics-t9ewie.jpg

The Gothic is a quest for atmosphere and to create emotion... Specifically the feeling of thrill, fear and the sublime (the feeling that you can't pull your eyes away). It was a dark and terrifying period, which was paired with harsh laws and enforced by torture. The very interesting thing about The Gothic is that it always touches on contemporary fears, for example, the supernatural, corruption, etc. 

Key motifs within The Gothic:

• Strange places
• Clashing time periods
• Power & constraint
• A world of doubt
• Terror Vs. horror
• Sexual power
• The uncanny
• The sublime
• Crisis
• The supernatural & the real

Prominent features:

• Terror (psychological & physical)
• Mystery
• Supernatural (ghosts/haunted houses/architecture/castles)
• Darkness
• Death
• Decay
• Doubles
• Madness
• Secrets
• Hereditary curses

Practical: Early Victorian Hairstyles

Bun with curls

• Comb the hair back and use the end of a pintail comb like a pencil to draw a line down the middle (using the nose as a guide and looking in a mirror)
• Separate each side from the top of the head to the back of the ear and clip out of the way

• Create a high bun with the remaining hair at the back (Victorian's had high buns and not low buns). This may be by twisting the hair and then gripping it into place (if this is difficult, try using a hairband to tie the hair up first)
• Let down one of the sections at the front/side. Take a long, thin section and create a ringlet using fairly thin tongs

• Remember the tongs should always be facing upwards, and the curls should be coming in towards the face. Also, using a comb, tuck the end of the hair into the tongs, so that this has a nice end to the curl, rather than a kink

You do not want this kink

• Gently release the curl by using a comb to slide the hair off of the barrel

Continue doing this is small sections with the remaining hair on each side

Final look

 I think this style worked very well and would be well-suited to the era. In order to improve it and make it look like the portrait at the top, I would use thinner sections of hair when curling. 

Bun with plaits

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/c2/51/8f/c2518f5985a0f8185be73e9f359d5146.jpg

• Repeat the same process as above, where you section the hair and put it into a bun
• With the sections at the side/front, bring the hair slightly forward, and starting just above the ear, plait the section of hair
• Bring this plait round the side of the head, looping it up and in to the bun and grip it into place (in Victorian times, most women would've had much longer hair than this doll, allowing you to be more experimental when you link it to the bun)
  

Film Review - Great Expectations (2012)

Great Expectations was directed by Mike Newell and overall, I think it was a good film - at first I was worried that I would find the film slightly boring and long-winded because of the era that it was based in, but mainly because I did not necessarily understand the era or the 'gothic horror' theme. However, I feel this film actually helped me learn more about the time period and theme and was quite educational. 

The film featured Helena Bonham Carter as Miss Havisham; I think this decision was very successful, worked well, and in fact complemented the film as a whole. I think she was able to portray the emotions that Dickens' wanted Miss Havisham to feel and the way she spoke. At first I was slightly against the idea of Miss Havisham being played by such a young character, this is because I had a very different idea of Miss Havisham after reading the book, and all that she had been through made me think she would be quite old, but in hindsight, it may have potentially been a very clever idea because it opens up people's minds and I think makes the film more modern, e.g. with more people divorcing younger and marrying several times within their life. 

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02063/Bonham-Carter_2063039i.jpg

Throughout the film, we see Miss Havisham at various difference points, and we are able to see a physically how she is changing and ageing, for example. her hair becomes grey/whiter, her dress continues decaying, etc.  But the thing I like about the film, and how Bonham Carter plays the character, is you can see how her thoughts and feelings towards men are changing, and by the end of the film, you almost begin to feel slightly sorry for her, when she becomes burnt and is saying "forgive me". 

Skin Ageing Research & Theatrical Ageing Practice

Skin Ageing Research
Skin changes are among the most visible signs of aging. Evidence of increasing age includes wrinkles and sagging skin. Whitening or graying of the hair is another obvious sign of ageing.

Skin changes are related to environmental factors, genetic makeup, nutrition, and other factors. The greatest single factor, though, is sun exposure. This can be seen by comparing areas of your body that have regular sun exposure with areas that are protected from sunlight.

With ageing, the outer skin layer (epidermis) thins, even though the number of cell layers remains unchanged.

The number of pigment-containing cells (melanocytes) decreases, but the remaining melanocytes increase in size. Ageing skin thus appears thinner, more pale, and clear (translucent). Large pigmented spots (called age spots, liver spots, or lentigos) may appear in sun-exposed areas.

http://www.skinsight.com/images/dx/webAdult/solarLentigo_53672_lg.jpg

Changes in the connective tissue reduce the skin's strength and elasticity. This is known as elastosis and is especially pronounced in sun-exposed areas (solar elastosis). Elastosis produces the leathery, weather-beaten appearance common to farmers, sailors, and others who spend a large amount of time outdoors.

https://www.dermquest.com/imagelibrary/large/030236HB.JPG

The blood vessels of the dermis become more fragile. This leads to bruising, bleeding under the skin (often called senile purpura), cherry angiomas, and similar conditions.

http://www.globalskinatlas.com/upload/645_1.jpg

Sebaceous glands produce less oil as you age. Men experience a minimal decrease, usually after the age of 80. Women gradually produce less oil beginning after menopause. This can make it harder to keep the skin moist, resulting in dryness and itchiness.

The subcutaneous fat layer thins, reducing its normal insulation and padding. This increases your risk of skin injury and reduces your ability to maintain body temperature. Because you have less natural insulation, you can get hypothermia in cold weather.

Some medications are absorbed by the fat layer, and loss of this layer changes the way that these medications work.

The sweat glands produce less sweat. This makes it harder to keep cool, and you are at increased risk for becoming overheated or developing heat stroke.

Growths such as skin tags, warts, and other blemishes are more common in older people.

https://edc2.healthtap.com/ht-staging/user_answer/avatars/837849/large/open-uri20130204-21464-147wdah.jpeg?1386573476

Theatrical Ageing - Further Practice
After carrying out some research about the ageing process, it made me more motivated and clued up about what happens to the skin as you become older. Therefore, I did some more theatrical ageing make-up to practice and improve my techniques. 

I thought that this was much more successful than the first time I carried out this make-up (below).

My first attempt 

I took as much time as I needed so that I felt relaxed and calm and was able to see what I was capable of, before involving time limits. I also carried the look out on myself, which meant that I was able to scrunch my face up as much as I wanted and in the areas that I wanted. This time round I was more confident with my lines and brushstrokes, which I think you would need to be in theatrical make-up, and I also used a highlighter more to emphasise the lines that I had created. 

Overall, I was very pleased with the look, and I think that the more I practice, the better the result will be.

Practical: Theatrical Ageing & Creping Of The Skin

•  Ensure you moisturise the face - you want to be able to blend the products
• Apply a base to the face, lips and neck (this should be a shade lighter than the model's skin)
• Get your model to smile/frown and pull very 'silly' faces to enable you to be able to see where any lines and wrinkles appear on the forehead, around the eyes, nose, etc. Also hollow out the cheeks slightly
• Mix a brown/grey colour using the supracolor palette 
• Using a fine brush, apply this colour into all of the wrinkles and lines and remember to blend out (using your fingers works well to blend)
• You may want to start with a lighter colour and then build up and apply darker colours on top to blend effectively
• Highlight any desired areas on the face
• Using a mascara wand, apply a grey colour (from the supracolor palette) into the eyebrows 
• Finally, gently use a stippling sponge and a red colour (from supracolor) to create broken veins on the skin

Before Ageing

Left-hand side of the face has been aged

Tooth Enamel 

• Dry the desired tooth with a tissue, and keep the mouth open
• Use a babybud to apply the product to the teeth
• Ensure the model keeps their mouth open until it is dry 

(This is not my work, just an example of the products)

Creping Of The Skin

• Apply a barrier mouse to the area of the skin you are going to be working on
• Stretch out the area of the skin as much as possible 
• Using a sponge, stipple the Old Age Stipple to the stretched area of skin (so you don't get hard edges)
• Using a hairdryer on cool (test this on your neck), dry this layer keeping the skin stretched
• Squeeze and move the skin back into place to see how effective it looks 
• When the layer is completely dry, add another layer
• Repeat this process until the skin looks as desired 
• You would then go over this with make-up ensuring that the skin colour matched the rest of the face and body

Victorian Hairstyles

Hair in the Victorian era was quite demure. It was often pulled back off of the face and placed in a chignon, bun, plaits, or even curls. Long, gentle curls were used to accent the face at the sides or even in the back. Smaller baby curls sometimes accented the forehead as well. It wasn’t uncommon for women to slick back or oil their hair to assure a smooth style. 

Even men took on a more modest stance, wearing their hair far shorter than any period prior. Curls were acceptable even in men’s hairstyles as was the use of oil to smooth out a difficult coif. In contrast, however, Victorian men often sported a mustache or beard and sometimes allowed their sideburns to grow.

However, there was a significant difference within the Victorian era between the early and late victorian eras. The dates below may help you understand the timeline of pictures below:

Early Victorian ~ 1837 through 1839
1840's ~ 1840-1849

1850's ~ 1850-1859

Civil War ~ 1860-1865
Early Bustle ~ 1866-1875

Natural Form Bustle ~ 1876-1883

Late Bustle ~ 1884-1889
Gay 90's ~ 1890-1900
Edwardian~ 1901-1919

Early Victorian hairstyles (1830's to 1860's) 

Pre-Civil War hairstyles included sausage curls framing the face...
popular during the early Victorian years. 

Prior to the Civil War it was fashionable
to part the hair in the middle and pull it backor twist the sides to cover the ears.  

Late Victorian Hairstyles (1860's - 1890's)

Hairstyles in the Civil War period typically
 had a part in the middle and the hair pulled
 back into a bun, braids or curls.

Often ladies included the use of a snood.

Toward the end of the Civil War period
 the hairstyles became larger and the
 use of additional hair fillers (aka rats)
 and multiple hair pieces became popular.

Large and elaborate hairstyles
 continued on into the early bustle period
until the late 1870's.

In the late 1870's the bustles became
 tighter and so did the hairstyles. 

For a few years during the
bustle period it was popular
to have the hair crimped or
styled in multiple waves.

Pin-curl bangs were also in vogue.

Hairstyles typically stayed close to the head
 until the late 1890's, a tight twist at the top
 was very popular. 

Website reference:

http://www.thebeautybiz.com/87/article/history/beauty-through-ages-victorians

http://bartoscollection.com/vehairstylesbyera.html

Portrayals Of Miss Havisham (Great Expectations)

In the book Great Expectations:
In the book Pip describes Miss Havisham as "the strangest lady I have ever seen, or shall ever see." He then goes on to say "She was dressed in rich materials - satins, and lace, and silks - all of white. Her shoes were white. And she had a long white veil dependent from her hair, and she had bridal flowers in her hair, but her hair was white. Some bright jewels sparkled on her neck and on her hands, and some other jewels laid sparkling on the table." 

Pip then explains that everything that ought to be white, actually had lost its lustre and was faded and yellow; he quotes "I saw that the bride within the bridal dress had withered like the dress, and like the flowers, and had no brightness left but the brightness of her sunken eyes." Furthermore, Pip compares Miss Havisham to a 'ghastly waxwork' and a 'skeleton' and explains how he is able to tell that she was once a curvaceous women but has now shrunk to skin and bones. 

Book reference: 
Dickens et al, 1992. Great Expectations, pp.48-49

In the 1981 TV series Great Expectations:
In this series, Miss Havisham is played by Joan Hickson. 

dailymail.co.uk

In the 2011 TV series Great Expectations:

In this series, Miss Havisham is played by Gillian Anderson. The American actress cuts a ghostly figure as the jilted bride in the Charles Dickens classic, although, Anderson's casting as Miss Havisham drew attention to the production due to her being a mere 43 compared to other actresses who have played her.

Website reference: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2064629/GREAT-Expectations-Gillian-Anderson-leads-star-cast-BBCs-festive-adaptation-Charles-Dickens-classic.html

In the 1998 Film Great Expectations:
This tale is slightly different and has almost been rewritten, but it has been borrowed from Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, where it is told in less lurid images and language, to be sure, but with the same sense of an innocent boy being lured into the lair of two and dangerous women. That the women are lonely, sad and good at heart makes it bittersweet. The story has been updated by director Alfonso Cuarón, who moves it from Victorian England to a crumbling neo-Gothic mansion in Florida.

In this film, the original character Miss Havisham, is now actually called Ms Dinsmore and is played by Anne Bancroft.

In this version of "Great Expectations", it spares us the sight of Miss Havisham's wedding cake, covered in cobwebs after the decades, but it succeeds in making Ms. Dinsmore equally sad and venomous. Anne Bancroft's performance is interesting; despite the much more dramatic eye makeup and the cigarettes and the flamboyant clothing, she is human, and not without humor. "That's the biggest cat I've ever seen," Finn (originally Pip) says on his first visit, "What do you feed it?". She waits for a beat, "Other cats," she says.

Website reference:
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-expectations-1998

I find it very interesting to compare the different actresses used, the different styling options chosen and the general diverse portrayals of Miss Havisham in different productions of the book, and compared to the actual book itself. 

Introduction To Gothic Horror and Victorian Beauty Ideals

My current understanding of gothic horror and Victorian beauty is fairly limited. Initially I thought about what the terms mean in today's contemporary society; e.g. 'gothic' and 'horror' tend to refer to dark and quite scary things, for example, the picture below. Although I am currently unsure as to whether this is the actual meaning of the term. 

http://www.gopixpic.com/550/30-horror-gothic-scary-wallpapers/http:%7C%7Ccdn*imagepush*to%7Cin%7C625x2090%7Ci%7C3%7C36%7C364%7C52*jpg/

Upon researching gothic horror I found that it is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Once I felt I had a basic understanding of the title of our project, I began to move on. I then started looking into the Victorians... 

My initial thoughts about the Victorians are that it is quite similar to the Elizabethan's idea of beauty, but slightly more toned down and natural, so at first, I do not necessarily associate the two together (Victorians and gothic horror). As I do not have a lot of knowledge of the subjects, I have decided to research existing definitions of gothic horror and Victorian beauty ideals using books and sources from the internet.

Many would say that the Victorian era was about modesty and natural beauty. Women of higher class practiced restraint with their makeup. Although many still used powder to tone down shine and give the skin a lustrous glow, it was used sparingly. Even eye shadows and lipsticks were very pale in tone and carefully applied - Eyeshadows were made with lead and antimony sulfide, lipsticks with mercuric sulfide and on the cheeks, beet juice was applied. Eyebrows were also plucked. Bold colors and heavy makeup application was initially considered taboo and was used only by prostitutes and actresses. The use of cosmetics actually became controversial with many religions banning them as immoral or labelling them as “the tools of the devil”. 

http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2010/08/06/beauty-in-the-victorian-age/

Makeup may not have been very used, but DIY skincare recipes made at home with ingredients found in the kitchen were still very popular. Creams were made using mostly natural ingredients. Tonics were mixtures of water and scents of roses, lilies or violets, while creams were made with waxes, almond oil and scents.

Website references: 

http://www.thebeautybiz.com/87/article/history/beauty-through-ages-victorians

http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2010/08/06/beauty-in-the-victorian-age/

Book references:
H.Gibbs-Smith, C. (1960) The Fashionable Lady in The 19th Century
Harris, K. (1995) Victorian & Edwardian Fashions For Women