Dear Friends,
It's February, and that means the Illustrated Love Letters blog just turned one year old! 🎉 I'm super grateful for all of you who stuck around, even during my long break.
Love letters, Valentine's Day—what else can I chat about but these sweet sentiments? I'm diving deep into Valentine's Day letters, and honestly, it's an endless sea of inspiration. I feel like I've only just scratched the surface, but I've uncovered some pretty cool stuff so far!
Love letters were already a practice in Egypt, even though Valentine's Day wasn't a concept yet. However, delivering them could be a bit tricky…
Shakespeare, the master of romance, crafted some sweet lines in his works that allude to Valentine's Day.
Over in Hungary, they used gingerbread hearts with mirrors as a kind of love letter. The person getting the gift saw their own reflection in the heart of love!
Originally, Valentine's Day had a connection to St. Valentine, who met a martyr's fate.
The portrayal of the loving heart has deep roots in religious traditions. Enter the so-called canivets or devotionals, adorned with religious imagery. Originally crafted as gifts to mark significant moments like births, deaths, birthdays, communions, marriages, or just to convey love. Over time, these devotionals transformed into romantic expressions, shedding some of their religious aspects. What were once sacred hearts now beat as symbols of love between partners.
On the left: Canivet or Devotional with Sacred Heart from the 18th century
On the right: Valentine’s postcard from 1908
And can you believe it? Those Valentine's Day letters and postcards, dating back 200-300 years, often showcase some brilliant paper engineering. It's pretty incredible! Here are some interesting examples:
Card about angel cupids roasting heart 😅
Valentine's Day is not romantic for everyone 💔
Valentine cobwebs from the mid-19th century
Alright, my lovely readers, that wraps up our journey through the world of love letters! 💌💕 I hope you enjoyed this stroll down the romantic lane. Remember, love letters never go out of style, so keep spreading those warm fuzzies! I'm leaving you with some heartwarming content - stumbled upon some fascinating finds related to our topic. Enjoy!. Until next time 💖✨
Sending Love
Ágnes
Love Letter Sparks
❤️ Love Is My Favorite Color by & Nina Laden Illustrated by Melissa Castrillon
I haven't had the opportunity to check out this book yet, but I'm sure it's going to be worth reading
❤️Shakespeare Valentines
Postcards that add a touch of humor to Shakespearean tales – romantically intriguing!
❤️Illustrated love letter to books
I was fascinated when I stumbled upon this article about an amazing book about books.
❤️ A must-listen for Valentine's
Some words about me
Hi, I’m Ágnes, a passionate illustrator and animated filmmaker from Hungary.
I'm obsessed with colorful drawings, funny characters, and nature-inspired illustrations. My work fields include editorial illustration, children’s book illustration, brand illustration, animated film, and gifs. Besides commissions, I teach animation and illustration.