Claude A Shepperson, original illustration for As You Like It (1902)

Signed by Shepperson, and mounted on card.

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

This is an original pen and ink drawing by Claude Allin Shepperson for Shakespeare's As You Like It, in "The Swan Edition" published by Longmans, Green, and Co in 1902. Shepperson contributed 10 full page illustrations, of which this is one.

The drawing is laid down on a piece of card with hand drawn margin. The card measures approx. 35.5 × 25cm, and the image itself is 25 × 16.5cm. It is signed lower centre.

It is annotated in pencil to the rear, presumably by Shepperson, which reads "As You Like It, Duke F: What is thy name, young man? / Orlando: Orlando, My Liege, the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Bois. Act 1, Sc 2.". This is the scene in the play when Orlando has wrestled with Charles and the Duke finds out that he is the son of one of his bitter enemies. The drawing shows Orlando answering the Duke who stands on a balcony. Orlando stands bare-chested and in striped pants as worn by wrestlers, he is attended by one courtier as the Duke's entourage look on.

This illustration is a fine example of Shepperson's fine-line, expressive sketching, filled with cross-hatching and contrasts the crowded energy of the court with Orlando's singular, brave confrontation with the tyrannical Duke.

Claude Allin Shepperson, ARA, ARWS, ARE, RI (1867–1921) was an influential English painter, printmaker, and illustrator celebrated for his fluid pen work, atmospheric compositions, and elegant draftsmanship. After abandoning legal studies in 1891 to train at Heatherley’s in London and in Paris, he became a prolific contributor to major periodicals—most notably Punch, where his graceful social satire popularized the iconic "Shepperson girl." Beyond his work for magazines like The Strand and The Tatler, Shepperson illustrated classic literary works, including Longmans’ 1902 Swan Edition of Shakespeare, H.G. Wells's The First Men in the Moon, and novelizations by Charles Dickens. Elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1919, his original watercolours, etchings, and drawings are held today in major public collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum, and Tate.

Condition

The drawing is in good plus condition, with slight darkening and perimeter edge-toning to the margins, while the primary image remains crisp and clear. The card it has been laid down on is also toned and a little darkened, with loss to the lower corners, heaviest to the right hand side.

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