Artwork
'Oh no! Miss Pussy, you'd bite off our heads'
'Oh no! Miss Pussy, you'd bite off our heads' is a watercolor work on paper by the Impressionist artist Beatrix Potter. It dates from 1892 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This watercolour shows a funny moment from a nursery rhyme about mice spinning thread. Beatrix Potter painted it around 1892 as part of a never-finished booklet inspired by “Three little mice sat down to spin.”
Potter used watercolour to bring a playful rhyme to life. She left the project half-done, but kept six finished pictures and a title page.
Look at more drawings by Beatrix Potter.
Overview
This watercolour, created by Beatrix Potter around 1892, illustrates a scene from the traditional nursery rhyme 'Three little mice sat down to spin'. It was part of an unpublished booklet project, one of six finished watercolours Potter completed for the venture.
Subject & Meaning
The piece depicts a pivotal, humorous moment in the rhyme: the mice's fearful response to Miss Pussy's threat, as captured in the line 'Oh no! Miss Pussy, you’d bite off our heads'. The image conveys the whimsical, often ominous tone characteristic of traditional nursery rhymes.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolour, the work showcases Potter's skill in using the medium to evoke a sense of playfulness and immediacy. The style is consistent with her early illustrative work, emphasizing clarity and narrative engagement.
History & Provenance
Although the accompanying booklet was never published, this watercolour survived as part of Potter's unfinished project. One of its designs was later adapted for 'The Tailor of Gloucester' (1903). A related pen and ink study is catalogued as BP.634(7).
Context
Created during a period when Potter was exploring nursery rhymes for illustrated booklets, this work predates her famous 'Peter Rabbit' series (1901-1913). It reflects her interest in traditional children's literature as a basis for her art.
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.
'Shall I come in, and cur off your threads?'
'Making coats for Gentlemen'
Three little Mice sat down to spin
Pussy passed by, and she peeped in
'What are you at, my fine little Men?'
A mouse knitting
Title page design for 'Three little mice sat down to spin'
Gentleman mouse bowing beside a teacup
A kitten sleeping; head of a kitten
Studies of the head of a kitten
Untitled
Guinea pigs gardening