Artwork
Gentleman mouse bowing beside a teacup
Gentleman mouse bowing beside a teacup is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist Beatrix Potter. It dates from 1903 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Her books often start “Once upon a time,” but this one names a real place and time.
Beatrix Potter painted Gentleman Mouse Bowing Beside a Teacup in 1903. It’s a small watercolour held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Potter usually wrote children’s stories like Peter Rabbit. This painting comes from her book The Tailor of Gloucester, set in the 1700s.
Her books often start “Once upon a time,” but this one names a real place and time. The mouse in the painting is dressed like a tiny gentleman.
Look up the artist Beatrix Potter next.
Overview
Gentleman Mouse Bowing Beside a Teacup is a small watercolour created by Beatrix Potter in 1903, now housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Unlike her more famous children's stories like Peter Rabbit, this piece illustrates a scene from The Tailor of Gloucester, a tale distinct for its specific historical setting.
Subject & Meaning
The watercolour depicts a diminutive, elegantly dressed gentleman mouse bowing beside a teacup, embodying the blend of whimsy and historical accuracy characteristic of The Tailor of Gloucester. The mouse's attire reflects Potter's meticulous research into 18th-century fashion.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolour, the piece showcases Potter's skill in capturing detailed, realistic settings and characters with a delicate, illustrative touch, consistent with her approach to illustrating her stories.
History & Provenance
Created in 1903 for The Tailor of Gloucester, the watercolour was part of Potter's rigorous creative process, which involved direct observation and research at the Victoria and Albert Museum. It is now part of the museum's collection.
Context
The Tailor of Gloucester, and thus Gentleman Mouse Bowing Beside a Teacup, stands out among Potter's works for its historical specificity, set between 1735 and 1785, a detail inspired by her observations of a tailor's shop and 18th-century costumes.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Helen Beatrix Heelis (née Potter; 28 July 1866 – 22 December 1943), usually known as Beatrix Potter ( BEE-ə-triks), was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist.
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