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Girl feeding calves

Relief
ca. 1874 - ca. 1878 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This relief of a girl feeding calves is made by Randolph Caldecott, England, in ca. 1874-1878.

It may be one of the subjects undertaken by Caldecott as a result of his study trips to Brittany during 1874 and 1878.

Randolph Caldecott was a British artist and illustrator. He first worked as a bank clerk in Whitchurch and Manchester while attending evening classes at the Manchester School of Art. In 1872 he moved to London and studied briefly at the Slade School of Fine Art.
He did a lot of book illustrations and was one of the first to avoid the then so popular black-and-white effects. He did skillful watercolours and oil drawings set amidst the vernacular architecture of his childhood, often infused with a sense of humour. Apparently even Van Gogh and Gauguin admired his work.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleGirl feeding calves (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Pastiglia (modelling paste) in relief
Brief description
Relief, pastiglia (modelling paste), girl feeding calves, by Randolph Caldecott, England, ca. 1874-8
Physical description
A girl stands to the right, with a child clinging to her skirts: one calf is feeding out of a bucket which she holds, another stands waiting. On the wall behind is a cock: over it is seen an apple tree laden with fruit. Signed in the upper left hand corner RC.
Dimensions
  • Height: 16.5cm
  • Width: 22cm
Object history
This may be one of the subjects undertaken by Caldecott as a result of his study trips to Brittany during 1874 and 1878.
Bought for £20 in 1905 from Mrs M.H. Caldecott, the widow of the sculptor. Formerly on loan to the Museum from Mrs Caldecott together with V&A Mus. No. 449-1905, between July 1899 and its purchase in 1905.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This relief of a girl feeding calves is made by Randolph Caldecott, England, in ca. 1874-1878.

It may be one of the subjects undertaken by Caldecott as a result of his study trips to Brittany during 1874 and 1878.

Randolph Caldecott was a British artist and illustrator. He first worked as a bank clerk in Whitchurch and Manchester while attending evening classes at the Manchester School of Art. In 1872 he moved to London and studied briefly at the Slade School of Fine Art.
He did a lot of book illustrations and was one of the first to avoid the then so popular black-and-white effects. He did skillful watercolours and oil drawings set amidst the vernacular architecture of his childhood, often infused with a sense of humour. Apparently even Van Gogh and Gauguin admired his work.
Bibliographic references
  • List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in the Years 1905 - 1908. In: List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum, During the Year 1905, Arranged According to the Dates of Acquisition with Appendix and Indices. London: Printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, 1909, p. 92
  • Bilbey, Diane and Trusted, Marjorie. British Sculpture 1470-2000. A Concise Catalogue of the Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 2002, pp. 229-230, cat.no. 348
  • Engen, Rodney, Randolph Caldecott, 1846-1886: a Christmas exhibition of the work of the Victorian book illustrator, Manchester City Art Gallery, 1978
  • Catalogue of a loan collection of the works of Randolph Caldecott: exhibited at the Brasenose Club, Manchester, March 1888
Collection
Accession number
448-1905

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Record createdDecember 11, 2008
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