John Collier, Clytemnestra - After the Murder

Guildhall Art Gallery, London

Date: 1882
Technique: Oil on canvas

Clytemnestra in ancient Greek legend, was the wife of Agamemnon, king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Mycenae or Argos. In the Oresteia by Aeschylus, she was a femme fatale who murdered her husband, Agamemnon – said by Euripides to be her second husband – and the Trojan princess Cassandra, whom he had taken as war prize following the sack of Troy; however, in Homer's Odyssey, her role in Agamemnon's death is unclear and her character is significantly more subdued.

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Artuš Scheiner, Illustration for Novel About The Faithful Friendship Of Amis And Amil by Julius Zeyer

Date: Unknown

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George Fuller, And She Was a Witch

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Date: 1877–84
Technique: Oil on canvas, 76.2 x 101.6 cm

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Merry Imbolc

Merry Imbolc!

Did the groundhog see his shadow this morning?

Either way, we are celebrating the spring that resides in the room of the Goddess, ready to burst forth in just another six weeks!

The almanac says the day’s color is Gray and the incense is Sandalwood

Victor Hugo, The Hanged Man (Le Pendu - ''Ecce'')

Maison de Victor Hugo, Paris

Date: 1854
Technique: Unknown

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Henry Weston Keen, Skull Crowned with Snakes and Flowers, for the Duchess of Malfi and the White Devil by John Webster

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Date: 1918-35
Technique: Pen and ink, and wash

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The "Family" at Sears

It must be in the family blood -- two cousins, Joseph R. Sullivan and Catherine T. McIntyre, modeled for Sears Roebuck newspaper advertisements.  The ads appeared nearly three decades apart.

Joe is Helen Sullivan's second cousin once removed and Cathy is Helen's granddaughter.

September 19, 1939, Newspaper Unknown but most likely Chicago Daily News or Chicago Tribune.

Joseph R. Sullivan

1966, Unknown Chicago Newspaper

Catherine T. McIntyre

Joe and Cathy are third cousins, once removed.

1939 Ad, courtesy of Joseph R. Sullivan
1966 Ad, courtesy of Helen M. McIntyre

St. Brigid's Day

Today is St. Brigid’s Day. Elebrate by lighting a fire in her name whether it’s a small candle or a bonfire. Drink to the maiden and ask for her blessings.

The almanac says the day’s color is white and the incense is alder

Women in Horror

Are you interested in horror? What about gender studies in regard to horror film? This might just be the month for you! February is Women in Horror Month (WiHM). It is the brainchild of Hannah Forman, who writes under the pen name Hannah Neurotica. Since 2009, the event has increased in popularity, and rightly so. Horror has been a male driven genre, for the most part, and seeing women rise in the ranks is refreshing.

Jennifer Lynch, the Soska Sisters, and others have brought their horrific visions to life on screen and have been successful in their endeavors. Here is the mission statement from the WiHM website:

Women in Horror Recognition Month (WiHM) assists underrepresented female genre artists in gaining opportunities, exposure, and education through altruistic events, printed material, articles, interviews, and online support.

WiHM seeks to expose and break down social constructs and miscommunication between female professionals while simultaneously educating the public about discrimination and how they can assist the female gender in reaching equality.

Check out their website for more information http://www.womeninhorrormonth.com/#!about. Will you be the next Women in Horror Month ambassador? Might we suggest some interesting reading in the meantime?

Film and Literary Criticism
The Dread of Difference: Gender and the Horror Film
The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism, Psychoanalysis
When There's No More Room in Hell: The Sociology of the Living Dead

Fiction by women
Frankenstein
Wrong Things
Women of Darkness

Lizzy Walker,

ScholarWorks

Ary Scheffer, Faust and Marguerite in the Garden

Private collection

Date: 1846
Technique: Oil on canvas, 218 x 135 cm

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Ivan Bilibin, Illustration for the fairy tale ''Vasilisa the Beautiful''

Date: 1900

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Ivan Bilibin, Ovinnik (Овинник)

Date: 1934
Technique: Unknown

The Ovinnik is a malevolent spirit of the threshing house in Slavic folklore. He is prone to burning down the threshing houses by setting fire to the grain. To placate him, peasants would offer him roosters and bliny. On New Year's Eve, the touch of an Ovinnik would determine their fortune for the New Year. A warm touch meant good luck and fortune, while a cold touch meant unhappiness.

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