Gothic Horror Research - An Introduction

The 18th century saw medieval gothic displays become more mainstream, therefore labelling it as the dark ages.  Witchcraft, sorcery and the practice of black magic were popular activities and new styles of architecture and art were developed, including details such as stain glass windows and characters like gargoyles.  Art of the time saw human bodies being elongated and stretched, and fashion saw vampires come into fashion.  Female vampires were represented in red, whereas male vampires were portrayed in black.

Black was the colour generally associated with death, and it was the colour dress that widows and widowers would wear when mourning.  It was also the colour that wealthy aristocrats in  Europe would wear to show off their wealth, however during the Victorian period it became more popular within fashion for people to wear it in everyday life.  Skulls, weeping willow trees and locks of dark hair were also often depicted during the era.

Pyramid of Skulls by Paul Cézanne
Paul Cézanne. (1901). Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_of_Skulls. Last accessed: 24th April 2014.

The Victorian period saw the femme fatale character become more popular.  The phrase 'femme fatale' is French for 'the fatal woman' and the dictionary definition of a femme fatale is a woman of great seductive charm who leads men into compromising or dangerous situations.  The femme fatale is a character of a mysterious and seductive woman.  She charms her lovers and leads them into dangerous, and sometimes deadly, situations.  A femme fatale will use her feminine traits, such as beauty and sexual allure, to achieve her purpose.  They are typically villainous in the stories that they appear in, however they have also appeared as the antiheroines in some stories.  Sometimes they even repent and become the heroines of the story.

Cleopatra - a historical example of a femme fatale
Marnell, B. (2012). Available: http://www.craveonline.com/tv/articles/193867-nbc-unearths-a-cleopatra-tv-show. Last accessed: 24th April 2014.

The femme fatale character has inspired a number of fashion designers over the years and can still be depicted today - for example John Galliano for Dior.  Femme fatales today are beautiful and striking, yet their style is simple.

John Galliano for Dior, A/W 2011
Unknown. (2011). Available: http://afterblack.blogspot.co.uk/2011_01_01_archive.html. Last accessed: 24th April 2014.

References:

- Unknown. (2014). The Free Dictionary. Available: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/femme+fatale. Last accessed 24th April 2014.

- Unknown. (2014). Femme Fatale. Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Femme_fatale. Last accessed 24th April 2014.