Lewis Carroll. Pencil drawing of two young girls. March 1871. Framed

Ink drawing with pencil touches (7 x 6 1/4 in.; 178 x 158 mm) depicting a girl seated in a chair reading from a book to a younger girl seated at her feet, inscribed on verso in another hand "Mabel & Alice by C. L. Dodgson author of Alice in Wonderland"; a few light marginal spots.

Sotheby's 30 November 1989, lot 294 (unnamed consignor)

A charming image featuring Dodgson's favorite subject. The children in the drawing are apparently those of Bartholomew Price (1818-1898), Dodgson's mathematics tutor and later, his close friend and mentor. Despite the annotation on the verso, there exists an entry in Dodgson's diary for 4 April 1871 in which he mentions having begun the other day "a picture of Mabel and Rose Price" (volume 8, pp. 143-144, where the editor notes that the picture is not located). Given the birthdates of the Price children, it seems more likely that the subjects are Mabel and Rose (ages 9 and 5).