Painting thumbnail 1
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Not currently on display at the V&A

Painting

1840-1880 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The artist Richard Doyle (1824-1883) produced a number of illustrations of elves and fairies, notably for a book called In Fairyland by William Allingham, published in London in 1870. Although he appears to have taken great delight in the colourful details of this miniature world, he also shows the more sinister and cruel side of fairyland. From the watchful malice of the elves spying on the young woman shown here, to fairy children physically tormenting insects, he reminds us that these are creatures that feel no pity.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Watercolour on paper
Brief description
Watercolour 'Wood Elves Watching a Lady' painted in England by Richard Doyle between 1840 and 1880
Physical description
Watercolour painting of landscape proportions, showing a group of twelve or so male elves (some with moustaches) hiding behind the trunk of a large tree in the woods. They are wearing blue-grey trousers and hooded tunics with red caps, and are watching a young woman in a mauve dress walking between the trees and smelling a flower from the basket she carries on her left arm..
Dimensions
  • Frame height: 28cm
  • Frame width: 50.5cm
  • Frame depth: 2.4cm
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
R(reversed)D. (conjoined) (Monogram; lower right corner; writing; paint)
Translation
Initials of Richard Doyle
Subjects depicted
Summary
The artist Richard Doyle (1824-1883) produced a number of illustrations of elves and fairies, notably for a book called In Fairyland by William Allingham, published in London in 1870. Although he appears to have taken great delight in the colourful details of this miniature world, he also shows the more sinister and cruel side of fairyland. From the watchful malice of the elves spying on the young woman shown here, to fairy children physically tormenting insects, he reminds us that these are creatures that feel no pity.
Bibliographic reference
Maas, Jeremy et al. Victorian Fairy Painting. London : Royal Academy of Arts, in association with Merrell Holbertson Publishers, 1997 50
Other number
137? (Richard Doyle exhibition) - Exhibition number
Collection
Accession number
1207-1886

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Record createdFebruary 17, 2004
Record URL
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