98 RACKHAM, Arthur (illus.); INGOLDSBY, Thomas. “The Duchess shed tears large as marrow-fat peas”. 1907 Original artwork of Catherine of Cleves Published within The Ingoldsby Legends in 1907. This fine watercolour accompanies “The Tragedy”, a story in verse of Catherine of Cleves and her love for Monsieur St. Megrin. It was reproduced opposite page 184 and is one of the 24 colour plates. The published plate shows the dates “[18]98 + [19]07” on a panel. These have been overpainted on the original artwork. Rackham’s first version of The Ingoldsby Legends was published in 1898. A revised and coloured edition was published in 1907 with a note by Rackham stating that “many of the pen drawings have been reconsidered and worked on again – those which have been worked on to any great extent being now signed with both dates, 1898 and 1907”. Original drawing (154 × 82 mm) on artist’s board (175 × 102 mm), fine ink and watercolour, signed with initials (“AR”) lower right, mounted, framed, and glazed (framed size 391 × 323 mm). Original back panel preserved with exhibition labels. Light consistent toning; a fine and unfaded watercolour. ¶ Exhibited: Leicester Galleries, London, October–November 1910, item 57 (sold to “Mrs Krauss”). £6,000 [154965] 99 RACKHAM, Arthur (illus.); SHAKESPEARE, William. “ What angel wakes me from my flowery bed?” 1908 An exquisite original watercolour Published within Rackham’s edition of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1908. The watercolour depicts Titania waking from sleep and setting her eyes on Bottom, transformed as an ass, in Act 3, scene 1. The piece appears opposite page 60 and is one of the 40 colour plates. In his biography of the artist, James Hamilton notes that Rackham’s “interpretations of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Wind in the Willows . . . have become definitive and continue to challenge later illustrators to find new approaches” (p. 9). Writing about “Rackham’s Best Book Illustrations”, Fred Gettings states that the artist’s illustrations for A Midsummer Night’s Dream are “among his finest colour images and almost all the plates echo perfectly the mysterious interweaving of lightness and depth in this great work. Many of the formal plates are exquisite, whether they depict the principal events of the main theme of the story, such as the translated Bottom with his ass-head . . . or the night-rule of Titania’s haunted grove” (p. 122). Original drawing (368 × 272 mm) on artist’s board, fine ink and watercolour, signed and dated (“Arthur Rackham 08”) lower right, mounted, framed, and glazed (framed size 552 × 445 mm). Minor surface abrasion at foot of tree; a fine, vibrant, and extremely fine watercolour. ¶ Fred Gettings, Arthur Rackham , 1976; James Hamilton, Arthur Rackham: a Life with Illustration , 1990. Exhibited: Leicester Galleries, London, October–November 1908, item 41. £85,000 [153490]
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All items are fully described and photographed at peterharrington.co.uk
CHILDREN’S BOOKS & ORIGINAL ARTWORK
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