Radikin guessed it right: Today's painting called “Blossomed Furze” was by Beatrix Potter. Most of her famous books, like Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny were based on her own pets by the same name. She carried them around with her on vacations and sketched them often.Throughout her life she made many studies of mushrooms, flowers, animals, birds, landscapes, and interiors, which still set a high standard of observation, even among natural science illustrators.
She was a stickler for truth to nature. As much as she adored Wind in the Willows, she once offered this gentle criticism:Kenneth Grahame ought to have been an artist—at least all writers for children ought to have sufficient recognition of what things look like—did he not describe “Toad” as combing his hair? A mistake to fly in the face of nature—a frog may wear galoshes, but I don’t hold with toads having beards or wigs! So I prefer Badger.”
Artwork and quote from The Art of Beatrix Potter, © Frederick Warne Co, 1955.
Tomorrow: Motion Blur
amazing post :)
ReplyDeleteBeatrix Potter was always one of my favorite artists growing up. Her work is a great inspiration to artists young and old alike
Silly Potter! Surely a refined and vain creature such as Mister Toad would own an excellent toupée. ;)
ReplyDelete