Shepard, E.H

i) "Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed", 111 by 126mm., signed with initials lower right, fingerprint below Christopher Robin's slippers; ii) "And I shut my eyes, and I curl up small", 47 by 120mm., unsigned; both ink drawings with occasional corrections in gouache, publisher's stamps on reverse ("Copyright Reserved By | Methuen & Co. Ltd. | 36, Essex Street, London, W.C."), mounted with text below drawings, some browning, slight discolouration to gouache, mount slightly browned, abrasions to 'Sporting Gallery' label on reverse of frame (2)

Sporting Gallery, 6-24 December 1924

Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares!
Christopher Robin in saying his prayers.

The original two drawings for A.A. Milne’s ‘Vespers’ last offered for sale almost ninety years ago.

Milne’s first and most famous poem for children, ‘Vespers’ was written for Daphne Milne and was first published (without illustrations) in the periodical Vanity Fair in January 1923. It was first published, in book form, as the final poem in When We Were Very Young (1924) when it was accompanied by Shepard’s illustrations. Such was the popularity of the poem that the verse, together with Shepard's illustrations, was printed as a single hanging card and also as a greetings card by Methuen in 1924. On 10 February 1956 the memorial service for A.A. Milne included Norman Shelley reciting the poem with an organ accompaniment.

The poem was also the final setting in Harold Fraser Simpson’s Fourteen Songs from When We Were Very Young (published only three weeks after the book). Since 1924 it has been recorded many, many times with artistes as diverse as Anne Stephens, Josef Locke, Vera Lynn, Webster Booth, David Tomlinson, Gracie Fields, Felicity Lott and Aled Jones.

These drawings were last offered for sale at Shepard’s exhibition of original drawings from When We Were Very Young held at the Sporting Gallery, 32 King Street, Covent Garden between 6 and 24 December 1924. On that occasion The Times reviewed the exhibition noting:

“…A.A. Milne could hardly have found a better illustrator than Mr. Ernest H. Shepard, whose original drawings for “When We Were Very Young,” and some others, are now on view at the newly-opened Sporting Gallery… Both writer and artist have a graceful irresponsibility, and they find no difficulty in reducing their size so as to look at things from the point of view of the child; but at the same time they preserve a watchful, if gentle, malice, ready to pounce upon any pretensions on the part of grown-ups…”

Such was the popularity of ‘Vespers’ that Shepard produced a redrawn copy of his original illustrations, with the verse handwritten by Milne (sold in these rooms, 5 February 1968). The present piece, however, offers the two original drawings reproduced on pages 99 and 100 of When We Were Very Young and still present in their original Sporting Gallery frame with gallery label on the reverse.