oops

"To Die For"

18x24 - oil on canvas

so in the Victorian era, the poison arsenic was wrongly used in many occasions.

It was used in color pigments, like Emerald and Paris green. which was used for clothing and wallpaper. 

Used in edible "beauty wafers" women would ingest to improve their complexion. 

And once accidentally used in place of sugar

In 1858 an estimated 20 people died when sweets were accidentally made with arsenic.

The incident was named "The Bradford sweets poisoning"

 "Humbug Billy", sold sweets from a stall in central Bradford. 

He purchased his supplies from Joseph Neal, who made the sweets or "lozenges".  The lozenges were peppermint Humbugs, made of peppermint oil, sugar and gum. At the time sugar was expensive and so Neal would substitute a cheaper substance known as "daft" for the sugar. 

Neal sent for one of his helpers one day to collect the "daft' from the pharmacy.

Well, on this day, the usual pharmacist wasnt there, and the fill-in accidentally sold 12 pounds of arsenic to Neals helper. 

The Arsenic was then used in making the lozenges, they were sold and posioned over 200 people, killing 20.

So I just kinda played off this, just instead of using the "humbugs" I used cake. 

Because cake is fun to paint.