Artwork
Side view of a dog, 'Kep'
Side view of a dog, 'Kep' is a watercolor work on paper by the Post-Impressionist artist Beatrix Potter. It dates from 1908 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. This watercolor, titled “Side view of a dog, ‘Kep’,” depicts a collie named Kep from a side angle.
About this work
Overview
This watercolor, titled “Side view of a dog, ‘Kep’,” depicts a collie named Kep from a side angle. Executed by Beatrix Potter, the work reflects her lifelong habit of recording animals she kept or observed, rendered in the delicate, translucent medium of watercolor.
Subject & Meaning
Kep, the sheepdog acquired by Potter in 1905 for her Hill Top farm in the Lake District, appears here as a study of the animal’s form and posture. The dog also features in Potter’s 1908 children’s book The Tale of Jemima Puddle‑duck, linking the illustration to her literary work.
Technique & Style
The piece employs watercolor’s capacity for soft washes and subtle tonal shifts, allowing the fur and contours of the dog to emerge with a gentle gradation. Potter’s approach mirrors natural‑history illustration, emphasizing accurate anatomy while maintaining a light, observational quality.
History & Provenance
Created during Potter’s active period of illustration in the early 20th century, the drawing belongs to the body of work she produced alongside her published Peter Rabbit books. It remains part of the collection documenting her artistic and scientific interests.
Context
Potter’s early fascination with drawing pets and countryside fauna informed both her commercial publications and private studies. Her access to museum collections, microscopes, and a personal cabinet of specimens reinforced a methodical, observational style evident in this rendering of Kep.
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.
