Claude A Shepperson, an original pen and ink book illustration

Undated but c1910, showing Jacobite-era Scottish men fighting

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

This is an original hand-drawn sketch by Claude A Shepperson. It has been mounted on card. The mount measures 30.5 × 24.5cms, and image measures 19.5 × 13cms. Signed lower left. Undated but likely to date from his prolific illustration period (approximately 1894 to 1910). I haven't been able to identify the book's title, or it may have been an illustration for a story in one of the many magazines he drew for. Written on the reverse is the caption "'Hold curse you' roared Adrian. Grudgingly they drew back + Ned Wayne groaned aloud etc. Page 3", as well as some printer's / editor's marks.

This is quite a dramatic drawing. It appears to be set in the Jacobite era (1689–1746) and a kilted swordsman rests against a wall (probably Adrian) and a crowd of kilted and sporran'd men, also with swords drawn look eager to fight him. Two bodies lie on the floor. There are shield on the stone walls.

A very good example of Shepperson's fine-line and expressive sketching, filled with cross-hatching and contrasts.

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 novels 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 sketch itself is in very good condition for age. There is some light tanning but it remains clear. The mount is tanned and foxed (heaviest lower right) with some loss to the corners.

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