Victorian Dragonfly

Artist:      Shoosty®     Year:     2022

Medium: Duplex Printed Ink on 18mm Silk Twill 

Size:      36” x 36” 

Victorian Dragonfly combines the natural beauty of a dragonfly with the ornate elegance of an illustrated Victorian frame. The dragonfly wings have a geometric design that echoes the late Secession period of Art Nouveau, similar to the artist Klimt. The illustrated frame is highly detailed, featuring flowers, leaves, scrolls, and curves that evoke the richness and sophistication of the Victorian era.

As a motif, the dragonfly reappeared during the Anglo–Japanese craze of the Victorian period, along with the crane, the spider web, and the sunflower. The dragonfly also represents victory to the samurai, and it may be the oldest design motif in Japan where it is associated with the saying, Never Give Up, since they never fly backward.

 The dragonfly also symbolizes lightness, swift agility, happiness, and the transition from late summer into autumn. In some European cultures, however, the dragonfly was seen as sinister or evil, as it was believed to poke out eyes or follow snakes. It is one of the most diverse and adaptable insects in nature. 

This is a captivating example of how art can combine different styles and themes to create something unique and original. It is both realistic and stylized, natural and artificial, simple and complex, elegant and playful, and a technical marvel.

Werner Heisenberg expresses the idea that reality is often more complex and mysterious than our human minds can comprehend. Science and Art inspire us to look at the universe with curiosity and awe and to appreciate its diversity and beauty. That is why I tout STEAM, science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics, over STEM, including Art and Humanities as key subjects to understand. They will give you purpose and help to open the lens which use to define the world.