Witching You a Very Merry Christmas!

It's time for a Witchy Wednesday: Christmas Edition.  Now THIS is the kind of Christmas greeting card I would have loved to receive! Around the Victorian era through the early 1900's, holiday greeting cards were a lot more hard core, and sometimes, downright WEIRD.  This example isn't too far out there, but it certainly doesn't scream CHRISTMAS, at least by modern standards.  Don't quote me on this, but I BELIEVE this particular holiday postcard was put out by De La Rue. De La Rue was an English company dating back to around 1813.  They made Christmas cards (and some of their work is REALLY odd!) from about 1872 to 1885. 

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Witches!

Want MORE creepy, crazy Victorian Christmas cards? Bored Panda has collected at least 57 examples of dead birds, devils, and lots and lots of frogs, all wishing YOU a very merry holiday season!

The Three Witches from Macbeth

Hey, it's Witchy Wednesday and I've got another striking art piece today.  A part of the National Portrait Gallery since 2011, this piece by Daniel Gardner was completed in 1775.  It is a gauche and chalk portrait simply entitled The Three Witches from Macbeth (Elizabeth Lamb, Viscountess of Melbourne; Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire; Anne Seymour Damer).

According to the description provided by the National Portrait Gallery, the portrait features these three women who were very influential in society and Whig politics at the time, and who were all good friends.  It is believed that it was commissioned by Melbourne, and designed by either her or Damer.  Shakespearean scenes were rather in vogue and a contemporary interest in the supernatural made witches a favorite motif, however their depiction as the three weird sisters might have a deeper meaning...

A Very Witchy Illustration

Happy Witchy Wednesday! The focus of today's post is this beautiful illustration from artist Ida Rentoul Outhwaite, who was an Australian illustrator of children's book.  This particular work, which is untitled, comes from her 1916 book, Elves and Fairies, published by Lothian. Outhwaite provided the wonderful illustrations that were accompanied by poems written by her sister, Annie Rentoul.