Petit’s impact on our understanding of Victorian life and culture

Historian article

By Tiffany Igharoro, published 11th November 2021

Petit’s impact on our understanding of Victorian life and culture

Tiffany Igharoro, a Young Historian Award-winner, introduces us to the artwork of Revd John Louis Petit, showing that art not only reflects the times in which it is created, but can also be used to shape opinions.

The Revd John Louis Petit (1801–68) created thousands of paintings in his lifetime, many of which were of church architecture and which helped to portray the damaging effects of the Gothic Revival, a movement which Petit opposed. During the 1840s Petit’s artwork started to change and adopt many features of the impressionist paintings that became popular decades later. The Industrial Revolution greatly impacted life during the Victorian era and this is also evident in some of Petit’s paintings. Petit was an activist and, with his artwork largely in private hands, his messages are rich and loud – provoking thoughts about subjects that are equally relevant today...

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