Artwork
Variant illustration of Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit standing on a staircase landing
Variant illustration of Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit standing on a staircase landing 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.
About this work
Beatrix Potter painted a watercolour in 1908. It shows Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit on a staircase landing. The scene comes from her book *The Roly-Poly Pudding*.
This is one of many pictures she made of Hill Top, her farmhouse in the Lake District. The stairs in the book look just like the real ones.
Next, look up the artist who wrote *The Tale of Peter Rabbit*.
Overview
This 1908 watercolour by Beatrix Potter depicts Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit standing on a staircase landing, a scene from her children's book *The Roly-Poly Pudding*. The illustration features the staircase of Hill Top, Potter's Lake District farmhouse, which often served as a setting for her stories.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, Mrs. Tabitha Twitchit, is a character from *The Tale of Tom Kitten* (1907), reprised here in a moment of urgency as she searches for her son Tom, who is in peril within the narrative of *The Roly-Poly Pudding*. The illustration captures her concern during this search.
Technique & Style
Executed in watercolour, the piece showcases Potter's skill in capturing domestic interiors with precision. The accurate depiction of Hill Top's staircase reflects her attention to detail and fondness for using real settings in her work.
History & Provenance
Created in 1908 for *The Roly-Poly Pudding*, this watercolour is part of a body of work inspired by Potter's life at Hill Top. The book and its illustrations celebrate her connection to the farmhouse and its surroundings.
Context
This work is part of Potter's prolific output between 1901 and 1913, during which she wrote and illustrated most of her twenty-three original children's books, including the famed *The Tale of Peter Rabbit* (1902).
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.
