Drawing
ca.1890s-1919 (made)
ca.1890s-1919 (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 study of a tortoise on the front of this sheet is thought to relate to Aesop’s fable, ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’. Potter’s interest in Aesop can be traced back to the 1890s, when, before becoming a published author, Beatrix Potter wrote out versions of, and made illustrations for, Aesop’s fables. She came back to her early interest in Aesop in 1918 with the publication of The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse (Frederick Warne), based on the fable of ‘The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse’. Potter then continued developing ideas based on Aesop’s fables in relation to her next book, which she planned as an amalgam of fables featuring Miss Jenny Crow and a Fox, as well as grapes, frogs and a stork. She sent a draft to her publishers, Frederick Warne & Co., writing, ‘I very much hope this may find favour? As I have (perhaps rashly!) started some of the pictures. Also crow shooting starts on Saturday so I have hopes of both models & pies.’ Her publishers, however, were unconvinced, replying: ‘it is not Miss Potter, it is Aesop.’
This study also reflects Potter’s interest in natural history illustration, and may possibly show her own pet tortoise.
The study of a tortoise on the front of this sheet is thought to relate to Aesop’s fable, ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’. Potter’s interest in Aesop can be traced back to the 1890s, when, before becoming a published author, Beatrix Potter wrote out versions of, and made illustrations for, Aesop’s fables. She came back to her early interest in Aesop in 1918 with the publication of The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse (Frederick Warne), based on the fable of ‘The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse’. Potter then continued developing ideas based on Aesop’s fables in relation to her next book, which she planned as an amalgam of fables featuring Miss Jenny Crow and a Fox, as well as grapes, frogs and a stork. She sent a draft to her publishers, Frederick Warne & Co., writing, ‘I very much hope this may find favour? As I have (perhaps rashly!) started some of the pictures. Also crow shooting starts on Saturday so I have hopes of both models & pies.’ Her publishers, however, were unconvinced, replying: ‘it is not Miss Potter, it is Aesop.’
This study also reflects Potter’s interest in natural history illustration, and may possibly show her own pet tortoise.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Study of tortoise, Ptolemy Tortoise, thought to be related to Aesop's 'The Hare and the Tortoise' (recto), and rough sketch of a frog (verso), drawn by Beatrix Potter, ca.1890s-1919; Linder Bequest cat. no. LB.969. |
| Physical description | Study of tortoise, thought to be related to Aesop's 'The Hare and the Tortoise' (recto), and rough sketch of a frog (verso). |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Unique |
| Gallery label | Potter’s manuscript of Aesop’s fable of ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’ is in the V&A collection. The tortoise shown here was perhaps a family pet. We do not know if Potter made the portrait to illustrate the fable but the animal’s determined expression and the sense of movement in its front leg perfectly match the story of slow but steady progress.(August 2022) |
| Credit line | Linder Bequest [plus object number; written on labels on the same line as the object number] |
| Object history | 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. The study of a tortoise on the front of this sheet is thought to relate to Aesop’s fable, ‘The Hare and the Tortoise’. Potter’s interest in Aesop can be traced back to the 1890s, when, before becoming a published author, Beatrix Potter wrote out versions of, and made illustrations for, Aesop’s fables. She came back to her early interest in Aesop in 1918 with the publication of The Tale of Johnny Town-Mouse (Frederick Warne), based on the fable of ‘The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse’. Potter then continued developing ideas based on Aesop’s fables in relation to her next book, which she planned as an amalgam of fables featuring Miss Jenny Crow and a Fox, as well as grapes, frogs and a stork. She sent a draft to her publishers, Frederick Warne & Co., writing, ‘I very much hope this may find favour? As I have (perhaps rashly!) started some of the pictures. Also crow shooting starts on Saturday so I have hopes of both models & pies.’ Her publishers, however, were unconvinced, replying: ‘it is not Miss Potter, it is Aesop.’ This study also reflects Potter’s interest in natural history illustration, and may possibly show her own pet tortoise. |
| Bibliographic reference | 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.106; no.969
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.106; no.969 |
| Other number | LB.969 - Linder Bequest catalogue no. |
| Collection | |
| Library number | BP.910 |
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| Record created | October 12, 2016 |
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