Excellent drawings to Lord Bateman Ballad, 1849
[Charles DICKENS & George CRUIKSHANK]. – Brooke SMITH, jnr. (artist).
“Ye Pleasante Ballade of ye Lord Bateman”, a series of five original oblong folio drawings illustrating seven scenes from the ballad, together with a 6pp. octavo manuscript transcription of the poem. [No place, but the United Kingdom:] “6th Feb 1849”. 5 original unsigned pen and ink drawings, illustrating 7 scenes, on 5 sheets of ‘Whatman’ wove paper (10 ½ x 13 3/8 inches; 267 x 340mm), each scene with integral title and number. Unbound within a ‘Whatman’ wove paper portfolio with an original pen and ink illustrated title “Ye Pleasante Ballade of ye Lord Bateman”, featuring Lord Bateman ‘all chained by the middle’ to a ‘stout & strong’ tree, signed with initials ‘B.[rooke] S.[mith jr.]; together with a manuscript transcription of the poem, titled ‘Lord Bateman’, beginning ‘Lord Bateman vos a noble Lord…’ in 21 4-line verses, on 6 pages.
Condition: some splits to folds of portfolio, otherwise excellent.
All contained within original wrapping of rough brown paper, folded, with recipient’s address on the outer upper cover ‘Miss Mary Phipson / Yew Tree Road”, and presentation note on the inner cover “Brooke Smith jr. / hopes the enclosed will afford / Miss Mary Phipson some small / entertaimnment / 6th Feb 1849”.
Condition: some splits, light soiling and loss to wrapping, but acceptable.
Provenance: Brooke Smith jnr (gift to); Mary Phipson .
A beautifully executed series by a truly gifted artist - probably an 'amateur' but his images are striking. Given the early Feb. presentation date, and the subject, this looks to have been prepared as a St. Valentine's Day gft? The ‘Ballad’ was most famously illustrated by George Cruikshank – the published work included 11 images. The images in the present work owe more to ‘Dicky’ Doyle than George Cruikshank, and (with the exception of one element of the ‘title page’) it appears that Brooke Smith has set out to illustrated lines/verses which were not covered by Cruikshank. Smith’s chosen texts are underlined in the transcription of the whole ballad which is part of the present lot.
Smith's drawings are full of joyful 'unnecessary' details: see in drawing #3 'Ye Departure': Lord Bateman prepares to depart, briefcase in hand [!], umbrella furled but accessible; in the background a paddle-steamer, the 'Grand Turk' is getting up a head of steam, her funnel with a huge grimacing face.
The V. and A. notes that “Cruikshank had heard a cockney version of this traditional ballad sung outside a public house, and repeated it to Dickens. Dickens touched it up and added some facetious notes for the published version, which Cruikshank illustrated with a series of jaunty etchings, over which Dickens was unusually enthusiastic. 'You never did anything like those etchings - never'” Eckel suspects that Dickens wrote the preface to the published work?
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[Charles DICKENS & George CRUIKSHANK]. – Brooke SMITH, jnr. (artist).
“Ye Pleasante Ballade of ye Lord Bateman”, a series of five original oblong folio drawings illustrating seven scenes from the ballad, together with a 6pp. octavo manuscript transcription of the poem. [No place, but the United Kingdom:] “6th Feb 1849”. 5 original unsigned pen and ink drawings, illustrating 7 scenes, on 5 sheets of ‘Whatman’ wove paper (10 ½ x 13 3/8 inches; 267 x 340mm), each scene with integral title and number. Unbound within a ‘Whatman’ wove paper portfolio with an original pen and ink illustrated title “Ye Pleasante Ballade of ye Lord Bateman”, featuring Lord Bateman ‘all chained by the middle’ to a ‘stout & strong’ tree, signed with initials ‘B.[rooke] S.[mith jr.]; together with a manuscript transcription of the poem, titled ‘Lord Bateman’, beginning ‘Lord Bateman vos a noble Lord…’ in 21 4-line verses, on 6 pages.
Condition: some splits to folds of portfolio, otherwise excellent.
All contained within original wrapping of rough brown paper, folded, with recipient’s address on the outer upper cover ‘Miss Mary Phipson / Yew Tree Road”, and presentation note on the inner cover “Brooke Smith jr. / hopes the enclosed will afford / Miss Mary Phipson some small / entertaimnment / 6th Feb 1849”.
Condition: some splits, light soiling and loss to wrapping, but acceptable.
Provenance: Brooke Smith jnr (gift to); Mary Phipson .
A beautifully executed series by a truly gifted artist - probably an 'amateur' but his images are striking. Given the early Feb. presentation date, and the subject, this looks to have been prepared as a St. Valentine's Day gft? The ‘Ballad’ was most famously illustrated by George Cruikshank – the published work included 11 images. The images in the present work owe more to ‘Dicky’ Doyle than George Cruikshank, and (with the exception of one element of the ‘title page’) it appears that Brooke Smith has set out to illustrated lines/verses which were not covered by Cruikshank. Smith’s chosen texts are underlined in the transcription of the whole ballad which is part of the present lot.
Smith's drawings are full of joyful 'unnecessary' details: see in drawing #3 'Ye Departure': Lord Bateman prepares to depart, briefcase in hand [!], umbrella furled but accessible; in the background a paddle-steamer, the 'Grand Turk' is getting up a head of steam, her funnel with a huge grimacing face.
The V. and A. notes that “Cruikshank had heard a cockney version of this traditional ballad sung outside a public house, and repeated it to Dickens. Dickens touched it up and added some facetious notes for the published version, which Cruikshank illustrated with a series of jaunty etchings, over which Dickens was unusually enthusiastic. 'You never did anything like those etchings - never'” Eckel suspects that Dickens wrote the preface to the published work?
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