Lot 592

Ernest Howard Shepard, 1879-1976

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Description

Ernest Howard Shepard
Teddy Bear A bear, however hard he tries,Grows tubby without exercise.Our Teddy Bear is short and fat,Which is not to be wondered at......There happened to be passing byA plump man with a twinkling eye,Who, seeing Teddy in the street,Raised him politely to his feet...
signed with initials; signed and inscribed with the artist's address on the reverse
watercolour, bodycolour and pen and ink
22x17cm.; 8¾x6¾in.

214 by 165mm., ink and watercolour drawing, signed with initials, annotated by the artist with his name and address on verso, framed and glazed, 3 tiny worm holes, mount discoloured

Provenance

Acquired directly from the artist in 1933 by the present owner

Catalogue Note

This watercolour relates to the poem Teddy Bear which appeared in the book When We Were Very Young by A. A. Milne. The book was first published on 6th November 1921 and was to be the inspiration for Winnie the Pooh. The first edition contained black and white drawings and this rare coloured version was given to the present owner when she visited Shepard's studio as a child with her mother in 1933. The present work was never published but Shepard produced coloured illustrations in the 1950s for a later edition.

Please note that this work was published in 1932 in The Christopher Robin Verses by Methuen and is shown opposite page 92. This book was a combined edition of the verse books When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six with 12 new colour illustrations by Shepard.

Please note that When We Were Very Young was first published in 1924 (Methuen).