# - Potter, Beatrix [or Bertram Potter].

i) 145 by 124mm., pencil and wax crayon drawing of bear clasping a deer; ii) 101 by 172mm., pencil and wax crayon drawing of a wallaby; iii) 135 by 110mm., pencil drawing of an antelope; all mounted, some spotting, browning and soiling, some tears and loss to extremities

There is some spotting and browning and soiling to all three leaves. There are closed tears or chips to extremities. The sheet with the antelope shows some loss not affecting the image and there are some juvenile pencil drawings to the reverse. There is a crease present on the sheet with the bear. Some pin holes.
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Two of these illustrations reveal an interesting use of wax crayon in that lines have been scraped away from the wax present on the paper to create texture. These three illustrations may result from a visit to the Zoological Gardens or, more likely, copies of illustrations in a Victorian volume of natural history.

The V&A collection includes rough studies or sketches of bears (see V&A117 and V&A1099). Bertram's sketches of bears are included as V&A1111 and V&A1112. The Linders' The Art of Beatrix Potter (London, 1972) reproduces "a fine etching of a gazelle" by Rupert Potter (see p.2) which provides a fascinating comparison to the drawings offered here.

Attribution to Bertram Potter is also a possibility.