A man's face is his autobiography.
A woman's face is her work of fiction.
Oscar Wilde
The last time I was at one of my favorite bookstores, not the one with the creaky hardwood floors, but the other one, in the old church building, I picked up a lovely soft cover book Virginia Woolf by Ruth Webb. Not only is it full of wonderful photos of Woolf, but excerpts of her handwritten pages, as well. I've always maintained much can be gleaned from one's face and hand.
One thing about her face, that especially struck me, was how much she looked like Oscar Wilde. Intriguing, how both writers, in their own particular styles, used settings in English polite society to discuss human relationships in class and gender. I was also compelled to compare their handwriting, which happened to be amazingly similar, not to mention their names both begin with "w". Curious, don't you think?
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| Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway manuscript, left, and Wilde's correspondence, right (click to enlarge) |
Dear Willow, Yes, an extraordinary likeness between these two writers.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the English will ever tire of discussing class, gender and the complex relationships betwen the two so inextricably linked to their 'stsaus' in society. It is, I feel, part of the English psyche.
Cool, Willow
ReplyDeleteI never noticed that until now.
My grandmother was a doppleganger for the older, leaner Woolf, something I should share on Sepia Saturday one day.
Ooooooh, their handwritten notes! I LOVE reading authors notes--that sounds great. I never thought about Woolf resembling Wilde, but here, they really do look like one another! I've seen some photos of her where she looks beautiful, and some where she looks somewhat homely. Fascinating!
ReplyDeleteHow extraordinary.
ReplyDeleteI have a dear friend who is the image of the young Woolf. In turn, she is a huge fan of Wilde. Maybe there is a connection.
ps
ReplyDeleteCheck some of these out, Willow--aren't they fabulous? My friend Karin's photo collection of Woolf:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/roomwithaview/sets/72157605012604473/
A Brush w/Color, oh, these are fabulous! I really enjoyed browsing her collection. Some of them are in the book I just bought, but not all of them. wow. Thanks for the link!
ReplyDeleteI'm a huge fan of both. I never noticed that they resembled each other. I always thought she looked like Joan Baez.
ReplyDeleteInteresting!
Yes, I see the resemblance. I love the handwriting.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely see the resemblance! Eerie!
ReplyDeleteThey are indeed look-alikes, and the similarity of their poses makes the resemblance all the more striking. Very interesting...
ReplyDeleteWillow, you have done it again! These two look even more alike than Grant Wood's girl and I do!
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought it might be Oscar all dressed up! I just watched his THE CANTERVILLE GHOST with Margaret O'Brien yesterday on TCM. Most significanly, it was Wilde's THE SELFISH GIANT that was my first Lisbeth Zwerger illustrated book! She is the artist who led me to Willow Manor!
Have you ever read Woolf's short story "The Widow and the Parrot"---it is a ghostly tale with a positive spin!
FireLight, I recently saw The Canterville Ghost with that precocious little Margaret O'Brien on TCM, as well. Just delightful. I have a copy of Zwerger's The Selfish Giant in my little collection, but I've not read The Widow and the Parrot. Now I must.
ReplyDeleteSimultaneity is always fascinating.
ReplyDeleteObviously you were meant to find these connections...
There must be more.
You must take yrself off at once to London and delve further.
It was meant to be.
Do NOT resist.
I insist.
merci
carolg
They are surprisingly similar in their facial expressions, their pose & the shape of their hands. My grandmother had similar handwriting and I wish mine looked as "old-fashioned" as this. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteCarol, I adore your insistence. I would be in heaven sleuthing around England on a project like this. ((sigh))
ReplyDeleteperhaps they were twin souls.
ReplyDeleteYou now have me convinced she was his daughter or something. The resemblance is indeed uncanny. The way they are holding their hands is the same. Has this ever been discussed before? Seriously, I'm fascinated.
ReplyDeleteWillow...they both really do resemble each other... I love when these little "mysteries" appear...
ReplyDeleteSleuthing about in the UK to uncover even more of these puzzles appeals to me too.....wouldn't it be fun to go off and explore!
Love from Robin
Still,
♥ The Maiden in the Fog ♥
But - hey, only two more weeks until SF Opera Autumn rehearsals begin!
Martin, let's do a game of Seven Degrees of Woolf and Wilde!
ReplyDeleteCuriouser and curiouser. . .
ReplyDeletelove the portrait of Oscar.
so many chilling connections...nice.
ReplyDeleteI worship Wilde to the point of obcession. Nice catch between the similarities, you have such an amazing eye dear Willow. You would have made an outstanding investigative reporter.
ReplyDeleteI had never noticed this!
ReplyDeleteThey both look like they liked to ruminate and brood.
ReplyDeletemmmmmm, what an interesting idea - the parallels intriguing :)
ReplyDeleteNever noticed that before. (Personally, I always thought Wilde resembled Billy the Kid somewhat, but not to the point of making one of those "separated at birth?" comments.)
ReplyDeleteMost definitely a resemblance.
ReplyDeleteCuriouser and curiouser ;)
Amazing, the things you discover!
ReplyDeleteI wonder, could Woolf be Oscar in disguise or vice versa. what a clever you you are to notice the resemblance and to find that wonderful book! PS I FINALLY placed my Amazon order for the Poor Poets Cookbook. Can't wait.
ReplyDeleteThey do look strikingly similar. Both are amazing writers, Wilde is one of my heroes. I admire and adore the man. I think Edith Hope's comment is quite true - the English, more than anybody else, are obsessed with class.
ReplyDeleteI loved seeing their handwriting, so much more than typed script, it's as though their personalities are showing here and i also love the wee drawings in Wilde's. Yes, their handwriting is very similar.
ReplyDeleteThat is a pretty amazing resemblance, but the photo of Woolf is quite unlike others of her I've seen. They do seem to be somewhat similar souls - brilliant writers, both tortured in their individual ways. And both gay - or at least Bi in Virginia's case. How fascinating to see their handwriting!
ReplyDeletei didn't know any of that about them and yet willow i love both of them as writers and then also (based on the very little i know of them) as people. cool stuff here. have a lovely evening at the manor. steven
ReplyDeleteI reckon poor Virginia W.'s spinning in her grave at being picked as a dead ringer for a bloke! I'm too scared to ask who you reckon I resemble dear Willow.
ReplyDeleteMillie ^_^
fun. some of it can be chalked up to the photography style. don't all old photos look alike. ;)
ReplyDeleteBut were they ever seen together? Can we posit a sex change operation and a pact with the devil for a very long life? (cue Twilight Zone music)
ReplyDeleteWillow,
ReplyDeleteYou always uncover the most delicious tidbits .
rel
Hmmm...could they both be...Orlando??? ;-)
ReplyDeleteYes! They ARE Orlando! Now why didn't I think of that before?
ReplyDeleteTheir handwriting intrigues me. Surely they would have been "taught" proper penmanship which would account for their 'hands' looking so similar. It is a sad statement indeed that in the future, with all the recent technology, we will scarcely be able to examine someone's hand ...it will all be typewritten. You must promise to hand write all your poems Willow!
ReplyDeleteI love Oscar Wilde! I mean, now I do. I never knew he was the sort to doodle teapots in his personal correspondence!
ReplyDeleteIt's all well and good for you to sit here and wallow in your mega-commenter flood, while my poor blog festers in its summer drought.
ReplyDeleteFine, DON'T come by and leave a comment! Just sit here soaking up all your comments, don't come and leave any for us poor peons of the blogiverse!
Spoiled rotten!
8-)
- M
Sounds like a wonderful book find, willow...in these photos they do indeed look alike....all that in-breeding of the English upper classes?
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy reading your posts. Many times your writings remind me of the book, "In Small Things Forgotten: An Archaeology of Early American Life," a non-fiction by James Deetz. -- barbara
ReplyDeleteThat IS amazing. Virginia Woolf is probably my very favorite writer, after Dostoevsky, maybe. I thought I knew most everything about her, but these similarities that you point out are weird and wonderful.
ReplyDeleteYour recent recommendation of the movie "Summer Hours" was much appreciated. I just finished watching it and found it beautiful. Thank you for that!
i loved that she painted a teapot with a smiling face and wonder what an expert would say about the wide spaces she left between her words...
ReplyDeletei think the handwriting can say something about the writer - and i always enjoy seeing original peaces - also of music sheets of some well known composers..
Hello Willow,
ReplyDeleteYou pick up on the most intriguing of aspects!
Curious, yes. But I wouldn't draw too much into it.
ReplyDeleteOscar in drag (and perhaps he was inclined?) What lovely shoulders they share!
ReplyDeleteClaudia, that's actually Oscar Wilde's handwriting with the teapot and wide spacing between!
ReplyDeleteThey really do look like the same person in those photos!
ReplyDeleteInteresting...the resemblance is uncanny.
ReplyDeleteAmazing. I always enjoy the way you see things.
ReplyDeleteinteresting post and observations. speaking of Virginia Woolf, I (rather serendipitously) just found our there's a brief (~8;00) interview with her posted on the Beeb. fascinating voice. here's the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/writers/
lots of other interviews too. (bonus)
Thanks, Gerry, I'll have to go check her out. I have a Maggpie Smith kind of voice fixed in my head for her.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing, this Willow. You kinda rock, ya know! They say everyone has a twin....I keep looking for mine, but haven't seen her yet.
ReplyDelete~Brenda
Oh, I can see this. And that book store sounds divine.
ReplyDeleteCurious indeed. It's like history is trying to tell us to pay attention - it's got something to say.
ReplyDeleteInteresting...I never noticed the similarities before, and I have biographies of both! Curious, indeed! Thank you for pointing out these intriguing tidbits!
ReplyDeleteWillow, am I the only one who doesn't see Woolf at all in this photo? That's Vita Sackville-West, or I'm truly going insane. Your new book says this is really VW and not VSW?
ReplyDeleteI first wondered if it was Vita, but the photo was labeled VW online. I pondered it a while and decided it was Woolf. Hmm.
ReplyDeleteI had never seen these pictures before. They look like brother and sister, if not the same person. Wow!
ReplyDeleteAre you sure that's Virginia? Looks like Lady Ottoline Morrell. Or Vita.
ReplyDelete