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Studies of caterpillars and study of a magnified fly's foot

Watercolour
5 February 1886 (drawn), 1886 (drawn)
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.

As a young woman Beatrix Potter studied natural history with some seriousness, exploring the collections of the Natural History Museum, including the insect cases and fungi specimens. She had a collector’s cabinet full of specimens, from shells to dead butterflies and moths, and used a magnifying glass and a microscope to examine them more closely. She made numerous carefully observed studies of animals and plants from life. The Peter Rabbit books reflect her interest in natural history. The illustrations are full of accurately rendered examples from the natural world, from foxgloves to the animal characters themselves.

On this sheet Potter mounted three detailed studies of caterpillars, noting the name of each species, as well as a ‘very much magnified’ study of a fly’s foot.

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Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleStudies of caterpillars and study of a magnified fly's foot
Materials and techniques
watercolour on paper
Brief description
Three studies of caterpillars and a study of a magnified fly's foot, by Beatrix Potter, 1886; Linder Bequest cat. no. LB.341.
Physical description
Three studies of caterpillars, mounted on a white sheet. The sheet is mounted on yellow card along with a study of a magnified fly's foot.
Dimensions
  • Mount height: 395mm
  • Mount width: 270mm
Style
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Poplar Hawk Moth / Puss Moth / Privet Hawk Moth.' (Inscribed in ink below each drawing by the artist.)
  • 'Lime?' (Inscribed in pencil by the artist below Poplar Hawk Moth drawing.)
  • 'Caterpillars, these turn into large moths.' (Inscribed on mount by the artist.)
  • 'A Fly's foot, very much magnified, showing the claws (A.)' (Inscribed on the mount by the artist in pencil. )
  • 'Foot of common fly / Feb 5th 86' (Inscribed on the verso of the fly drawing in red ink by the artist.)
Credit line
Linder Bequest [plus object number; written on labels on the same line as the object number]
Object history
Drawn by Beatrix Potter, 1886. 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.

As a young woman Beatrix Potter studied natural history with some seriousness, exploring the collections of the Natural History Museum, including the insect cases and fungi specimens. She had a collector’s cabinet full of specimens, from shells to dead butterflies and moths, and used a magnifying glass and a microscope to examine them more closely. She made numerous carefully observed studies of animals and plants from life. The Peter Rabbit books reflect her interest in natural history. The illustrations are full of accurately rendered examples from the natural world, from foxgloves to the animal characters themselves.

On this sheet Potter mounted three detailed studies of caterpillars, noting the name of each species, as well as a ‘very much magnified’ study of a fly’s foot.
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.37; no.341 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.37; no.341
Other number
LB.341 - Linder Bequest catalogue no.
Collection
Library number
BP.248

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Record createdDecember 1, 2016
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