Not currently on display at the V&A

Variant illustration of Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit standing on a staircase landing

Watercolour
1908 (made)
Artist/Maker

Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) is one of the world's best-loved children's authors and illustrators. She wrote the majority of the twenty-three original Peter Rabbit books between 1901 and 1913. The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Frederick Warne, 1902) is her most famous and best-loved tale.

The Roly-Poly Pudding (1908) celebrated Beatrix's love affair with her recently published farmhouse in the Lake District, Hill Top. the house became the setting for the book and several features appear in the illustrations, in particular the staircase. Characters from The Tale of Tom Kitten (1907) reappear, with Tom Kitten narrowly escaping being cooked in a pudding made by the rats, also inhabiting the house. Here, Tom's mother Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit stands on the landing of the stairs at Hill Top during the search for her son.



Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleVariant illustration of Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit standing on a staircase landing (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour on card.
Brief description
Watercolour drawing of Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit standing on a staircase landing; variant illustration for page 9 of The Tale of Samuel Whiskers (2002); probably drawn by Beatrix Potter in 1908; Linder Bequest catalogue no: LB.787.
Physical description
Watercolour on card of the character of a cat Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit in a blue dress with white apron standing on a landing half-way up a carpeted wooden staircase with her paws to her face. She is looking to the left of the picture and light is streaming in from a window to the right of her. A large grandfather clock is also in partial view behind her. There is an inscription on the front and also the verso of the illustration.
Dimensions
  • Width: 200mm
  • Height: 240mm
size of paper.
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
'By Beatrix Potter, duplicate illustration from Roly Poly Pudding.' (Inscription by Beatrix Potter.)
Credit line
Linder Bequest [plus object number; written on labels on the same line as the object number]
Object history
Drawn by Beatrix Potter, probably in 1908. Acquired by the V&A from Leslie Linder (1904-1973) in 1973 as part of the Linder Bequest, a collection of ca. 2150 watercolours, drawings, literary manuscripts, correspondence, books, photographs, and other memorabilia associated with Beatrix Potter and her family.
Subjects depicted
Places depicted
Summary
Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) is one of the world's best-loved children's authors and illustrators. She wrote the majority of the twenty-three original Peter Rabbit books between 1901 and 1913. The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Frederick Warne, 1902) is her most famous and best-loved tale.

The Roly-Poly Pudding (1908) celebrated Beatrix's love affair with her recently published farmhouse in the Lake District, Hill Top. the house became the setting for the book and several features appear in the illustrations, in particular the staircase. Characters from The Tale of Tom Kitten (1907) reappear, with Tom Kitten narrowly escaping being cooked in a pudding made by the rats, also inhabiting the house. Here, Tom's mother Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit stands on the landing of the stairs at Hill Top during the search for her son.

Bibliographic reference
'Hobbs and Whalley, Beatrix Potter : the V&A Collection, London, 1985' Brief catalogue entry, no. 787.
Other number
LB.787 - Linder Bequest catalogue no.
Collection
Library number
BP.509

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Record createdOctober 14, 2011
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