A cat drinking from a cup and saucer
Watercolour
1890s (drawn)
1890s (drawn)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
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.
Beatrix Potter made many imaginary drawings in the 1890s, before she published her books. Some were reproduced for publication, either as greetings card or within publications such as children’s annuals. Although this drawing of a cat drinking from a cup and saucer was not apparently published, it is thought to be one of the drawings that Potter mentioned in a letter to Warne of 17 June 1926 as having been offered to the publishers Ernest Nister many years before. She wrote: ‘There was a drawing of an animal drinking tea; in one version it was a rabbit and in another it was a kitten. One was used and the other was not, but goodness knows which’.
Beatrix Potter made many imaginary drawings in the 1890s, before she published her books. Some were reproduced for publication, either as greetings card or within publications such as children’s annuals. Although this drawing of a cat drinking from a cup and saucer was not apparently published, it is thought to be one of the drawings that Potter mentioned in a letter to Warne of 17 June 1926 as having been offered to the publishers Ernest Nister many years before. She wrote: ‘There was a drawing of an animal drinking tea; in one version it was a rabbit and in another it was a kitten. One was used and the other was not, but goodness knows which’.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | A cat drinking from a cup and saucer |
| Materials and techniques | watercolour and pencil on paper |
| Brief description | Drawing of a cat drinking from a cat and saucer by Beatrix Potter, drawn in the 1890s and offered for publication to the firm of Ernest Nister; Linder Bequest ca. no. 1027 |
| Physical description | A tabby cat sat upright drinking from a cup and saucer; other cups and saucers as well as a jug and a bowl are beside the cat. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Unique |
| Credit line | Linder Bequest [plus object number; written on labels on the same line as the object number] |
| Object history | Drawn by Beatrix Potter, ca. 1890s. 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. Beatrix Potter made many imaginary drawings in the 1890s, before she published her books. Some were reproduced for publication, either as greetings card or within publications such as children’s annuals. Although this drawing of a cat drinking from a cup and saucer was not apparently published, it is thought to be one of the drawings that Potter mentioned in a letter to Warne of 17 June 1926 as having been offered to the publishers Ernest Nister many years before. She wrote: ‘There was a drawing of an animal drinking tea; in one version it was a rabbit and in another it was a kitten. One was used and the other was not, but goodness knows which’. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | LB.1027 - Linder Bequest catalogue no. |
| Collection | |
| Library number | BP.802 |
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| Record created | August 17, 2016 |
| Record URL |
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