The frog jumps into his boat thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Not currently on display at the V&A
On short term loan out for exhibition

This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

The frog jumps into his boat

Drawing
ca. 1894 (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.

This drawing of a frog leaping into a boat was made as a preliminary study for Potter’s series of drawings A Frog He Would A-Fishing Go. These illustrations were inspired by the gentleman frog in Randolph Caldecott’s picture book, A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go, printed by Edmund Evans for George Routledge in 1883 and later for Frederick Warne in 1895. In February 1884, Rupert Potter, Beatrix’s father, purchased two pen and ink drawings by Caldecott made in preparation for this book. Beatrix Potter intended her drawings for A Frog He Would A-Fishing Go to be published as a booklet, however, having approached the firm of Ernest Nister was told ‘I am a little doubtful of whether we can take it, we certainly cannot make a booklet of it as people do not want frogs now. The only way in which we could use it would be as a double page in our ‘Annual’…’ Following some negotiation, most of the drawings were purchased by Ernest Nister for publication; they were published in Nister’s Holiday Annual for 1896 and in Comical Customers at the New Stores of Comical Rhymes and Stories.

The story eventually developed into The Tale of Jeremy Fisher, which was published by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1906.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Drawing
  • Rubbing
TitleThe frog jumps into his boat (published title)
Materials and techniques
Pen and ink over pencil on paper
Brief description
Pen and ink over pencil drawing of a frog fishing, drawn by Beatrix Potter ca.1894 for the sequence of drawings 'A Frog he would a-fishing go', published by Ernest Nister in Christmas Annual 1894; Linder Bequest cat. no. LB.1030
Physical description
A loosely drawn preliminary drawing of a frog holding an umbrella and leaping into a boat, made in pen and ink over pencil lines, the drawing in landscape format.
Dimensions
  • Sheet height: 14cm
  • Sheet width: 20cm
Style
Production typeUnique
Credit line
Linder Bequest [plus object number; written on labels on the same line as the object number]
Object history
Drawn by Beatrix Potter in ca.1894. 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
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.

This drawing of a frog leaping into a boat was made as a preliminary study for Potter’s series of drawings A Frog He Would A-Fishing Go. These illustrations were inspired by the gentleman frog in Randolph Caldecott’s picture book, A Frog He Would A-Wooing Go, printed by Edmund Evans for George Routledge in 1883 and later for Frederick Warne in 1895. In February 1884, Rupert Potter, Beatrix’s father, purchased two pen and ink drawings by Caldecott made in preparation for this book. Beatrix Potter intended her drawings for A Frog He Would A-Fishing Go to be published as a booklet, however, having approached the firm of Ernest Nister was told ‘I am a little doubtful of whether we can take it, we certainly cannot make a booklet of it as people do not want frogs now. The only way in which we could use it would be as a double page in our ‘Annual’…’ Following some negotiation, most of the drawings were purchased by Ernest Nister for publication; they were published in Nister’s Holiday Annual for 1896 and in Comical Customers at the New Stores of Comical Rhymes and Stories.

The story eventually developed into The Tale of Jeremy Fisher, which was published by Frederick Warne & Co. in 1906.
Bibliographic references
  • Hobbs, Anne Stevenson, and Joyce Irene Whalley, eds. Beatrix Potter: the V & A collection : the Leslie Linder bequest of Beatrix Potter material : watercolours, drawings, manuscripts, books, photographs and memorabilia. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1985. p.117; no.1030 Hobbs, Anne Stevenson, and Joyce Irene Whalley, eds. Beatrix Potter: the V & A collection: the Leslie Linder bequest of Beatrix Potter material: watercolours, drawings, manuscripts, books, photographs and memorabilia. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1985. p.117; no.1030
  • L. Linder, A History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter. (London : Frederick Warne & Co, 1987 reprint). p.179 (see for finished version with text) L. Linder, A History of the Writings of Beatrix Potter. (London : Frederick Warne & Co, 1987 reprint). p.179 (see for finished version with text)
Other number
LB.1030 - Linder Bequest catalogue no.
Collection
Library number
BP.507(b)

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Record createdApril 1, 2015
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