Art

A very attractive suite of watercolours by noted artist Joseph Clayton "Kyd" Clarke (1857-1937). This is a comprehensive collection showcasing Kyd's talent for characterization. Each portrait is signed by the artist in red ink as "Kyd" and titled in pencil lower left. The characters depicted are: Oliver Twist, Mr Bumble, Fagin, Monks, Bill Sikes, Nancy, Toby Crackit, the Artful Dodger, Charley Bates, Blathers, Duff, Mr Grimwig, Mr Brownlow, Mrs Corney, Barney, Tom Chitling, Noah Claypole, and Mr Sowerberry. Kyd's first Dickens illustrations appeared in 1887 in Fleet Street Magazine. They achieved immediate popularity, with two published collections appearing shortly after and numerous sets of postcards based on his Dickens drawings also released. After this initial success Kyd earned his living making watercolour sketches such as these, selling them to and through the London book trade. Even as early as 1890 his Dickens sketches were being sought by major Dickens collectors such as Thomas Wilson and the noted Hispanist Frederick Cosens, who are mentioned in the contemporary publication Dickens and his Illustrators (1899). The British Museum acquired a collection of 598 Kyd illustrations of Dickens in 1910, and the V&A, the Charles Dickens Museum, and the University of Texas each have a significant collection. Even today Dickens's larger-than-life characters are in part imagined through Kyd's depictions; in 2012 six of his illustrations were issued as stamps by A very attractive suite of watercolours by noted artist Joseph Clayton "Kyd" Clarke (1857-1937). This is a comprehensive collection showcasing Kyd's talent for characterization. Each portrait is signed by the artist in red ink as "Kyd" and titled in pencil lower left. The characters depicted are: Oliver Twist, Mr Bumble, Fagin, Monks, Bill Sikes, Nancy, Toby Crackit, the Artful Dodger, Charley Bates, Blathers, Duff, Mr Grimwig, Mr Brownlow, Mrs Corney, Barney, Tom Chitling, Noah Claypole, and Mr Sowerberry. Kyd's first Dickens illustrations appeared in 1887 in Fleet Street Magazine. They achieved immediate popularity, with two published collections appearing shortly after and numerous sets of postcards based on his Dickens drawings also released. After this initial success Kyd earned his living making watercolour sketches such as these, selling them to and through the London book trade. Even as early as 1890 his Dickens sketches were being sought by major Dickens collectors such as Thomas Wilson and the noted Hispanist Frederick Cosens, who are mentioned in the contemporary publication Dickens and his Illustrators (1899). The British Museum acquired a collection of 598 Kyd illustrations of Dickens in 1910, and the V&A, the Charles Dickens Museum, and the University of Texas each have a significant collection. Even today Dickens's larger-than-life characters are in part imagined through Kyd's depictions; in 2012 six of his illustrations were issued as stamps by the Royal Mail to mark the 200th anniversary of Dickens's birth. READ MORE 18 original pen-and-ink watercolour illustrations (image size averaging c.100 x 80 mm), loosely contained in contemporary plain wrappers, front wrapper annotated in a contemporary hand: "Oliver Twist 18 plates". Housed in a custom black cloth chemise and fleece-lined black cloth solander box. A fine set, remarkably crisp, original colours still bright, "Mr Bumble" illustration faintly toned, otherwise fresh. Wrappers partially split, just holding at spine, solander box rubbed and worn at edges.