Sunday 31 March 2013

'Douglas's men crawl to the castle'

'Douglas's men crawl to the castle', an illustration by JVL in Epics of the Middle Ages
The Folio Society, 2005

Saturday 30 March 2013

'Mortgage worrying'


 'Mortgage worrying', a drawing by JVL in a diary of  1985
Most of the written entries include a number of fables by Aphra Behn from a book published in 1687

Friday 29 March 2013

'The Sick Kite'

'The Sick Kite', an illustration by JVL in Aesop's Fables, Jonathan Cape, 1989

The illustration shows Ditchling Church surrounded by trees, most of which were blown down in the storm of 1987. On the right can be seen a half-timbered building known as 'Wing's Place' in West Street. Here is the text of the fable, as told by Samuel Croxall in his celebrated book - Fables of Aesop and Others published in 1722.


A Kite had been sick a long time; and finding there was no Hopes of his Recovery, beg’d of his Mother to go to all the Churches, to try what Prayers and Promises would effect in his behalf. The old Kite replied, Indeed, dear Son, I would willingly undertake anything to save your Life; but I have great reason to despair of you doing any Service in the Way you propose: For, with what Face can I ask any thing of the Gods in Favour of one, whose whole Life has been a continued Scene of Rapine and Injustice, and, who has not scrupled, upon Occasion, to rob the very Altars themselves?

Moral: Little pity is shown to sickly penitents when they have lived the life of a thief.

Text: Samuel Croxall (Fable 29, 1722).

Selected Parallels: Babrius 78. Caxton (Romulus) 1/19. L’Estrange 17. Chambry 168. Perry 324.

Thursday 28 March 2013

sprout and banana


A sprout and a banana, a drawing by JVL, done in SR Badmin's drawing class 
at the Central School of Art and Design in 1960.

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Two chests filled with sand



'Two chests filled with sand', an illustration by JVL for a chapter about 'El Cid' 
in Epics of the Middle Ages, Folio Society, 2005.

The location for this illustration was an area in the cathedral at Trani in Apulia, Italy.


Tuesday 26 March 2013

A cake mixing machine

A cake mixing machine, a drawing by JVL in a student sketchbook around 1957.
This was a machine in my father's bakery and confectionery shop, known as 'Lord's Café' in Glossop.

Monday 25 March 2013

The Snark Hunters' Vessel in full sail

The Snark Hunters' Vessel in full sail, an illustration by JVL in The Hunting of the Snark
by Lewis Carroll, Artists' Choice Editions, 2006.


But the principal failing occurred in the sailing,
And the Bellman, perplexed and distressed, 
Said he had hoped, at least, when the wind blew due East,
That the ship would not travel due West!

Sunday 24 March 2013

The Old Man of the Border


 There was a Old Man of the Border,
Who lived in the utmost disorder;
He dance with his cat, and made tea in his hat,
Which vexed all the folks on the Border.
Edward Lear

'The Old Man of the Border' a rough drawing and a final illustration by JVL in 
The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reissued in 2012, page 37.

You can see (from a note on the rough drawing) that the final illustration, from rough drawing to finished artwork, took 7 hours and 27 minutes to complete.

Saturday 23 March 2013

A Man eating his own words

A Man eating his own words - a book jacket illustration by JVL for 
The Methuen Dictionary of Clichés, edited by Christine Anmer, Methuen, 1992.


Friday 22 March 2013

'The Common Cormorant'

'The Common Cormorant', an illustration by JVL in The Song that Sings the Bird; 
Poems for Young Children, chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins, 1989, page 59.

The Common Cormorant or shag
Lays eggs inside a paper bag
The reason you will see no doubt
It is to keep the lightning out.
But what these unobservant birds
Have never noticed is that herds
Of wandering bears may come with buns
And steal the bags to hold the crumbs.

This poem has often been attributed to that ubiquitous creative person known as 'Anon' but 
Christopher Isherwood's name has sometimes been put forward as the creator of this magnificent poem.



Thursday 21 March 2013

An African woodcarving


An African woodcarving, a painting in gouache by JVL when studying at Salford School of Art, 1957.

As students we were time tabled one day a week to go outdoor sketching. If it rained we studied in museums. 

Wednesday 20 March 2013

Lord's Café in Glossop


A drawing by JVL, showing a corner of his father's café (Lord's Café in Glossop) drawn in 1957 when a student at Salford School of Art

Tuesday 19 March 2013

The three gardeners (as playing cards) painting the roses red

The three gardeners (as playing cards) painting the roses red. An illustration by JVL 
in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Artists' Choice Editions, 2009.

The sum of the three cards (7+5+2) =14. 
14 x 3 (the three gardeners) equals that magic number of 42.


Here is the beginning of the text by Lewis Carroll:

       CHAPTER VIII  The Queen's Croquet-Ground
A large rose-tree stood near the entrance of the garden:  the
roses growing on it were white, but there were three gardeners at
it, busily painting them red.  Alice thought this a very curious
thing, and she went nearer to watch them, and just as she came up
to them she heard one of them say, `Look out now, Five!  Don't go
splashing paint over me like that!


Monday 18 March 2013

'A tissue is not to be sneezed at'


'A tissue is not to be sneezed at', an illustration by JVL for a projected unfinished graphic novel, 1987

Sunday 17 March 2013

'The Pink House'


'The Pink House', an illustration by JVL for Olive Cook's short story, The Pink House
Inky Parrot Press, 2002 

Saturday 16 March 2013

'An Old Man who said "Well!"'


An illustration by JVL in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 
(reissued in 2012), page 73.

Friday 15 March 2013

Celery


'Celery', a drawing by JVL carried out in 1960 when a student.

Thursday 14 March 2013

The Leg of Mutton (Through the Looking-glass)

'The Leg of Mutton', an illustration by JVL in Lewis Carroll's 
Through the Looking-glass and what Alice Found There, Artists' Choice Editions, 2011.

The Text:

"You look a little shy; let me introduce you to that leg of mutton," said the Red Queen. "Alice - Mutton; Mutton - Alice." The leg of mutton got up in the dish and made a little bow to Alice; and Alice returned the bow, not knowing whether to be frightened or amused.

 "May I give you a slice?" she said, taking up the knife and fork, and looking from one Queen to the other.

"Certainly not," the Red Queen said, very decidedly: "it isn't etiquette to cut any one you've been introduced to.  Remove the joint".

Wednesday 13 March 2013

The Plum Pudding in 'Through the Looking Glass'

The Plum Pudding, an illustration by JVL in Lewis Carroll's 
Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, Artists' Choice Editions, 2011.

Here is the passage text:

"What impertinence!" said the Pudding."I wonder how you'd like it, if I were to cut a slice out of you, you creature!"

It spoke with a thick, suety sort of voice, and Alice hadn't a word to say: she could only sit and look at it and gasp. ... and all eyes were fixed upon her.

Monday 11 March 2013

'Anancy the Spider'

'Anancy the Spider', an illustration of Andrew Salkey's poem by JVL in The Song that Sings the Bird
poems for young children chosen by Ruth Craft, Collins, 1989, page 79

Sunday 10 March 2013

Saturday 9 March 2013

'The Dong meets a Jumbly Girl'


'The Dong meets a Jumbly Girl', one of the illustrations by JVL for 'The Dong with a Luminous Nose' in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear, Jonathan Cape, 1984 , reissued in 2012, page 12.

Long years ago
The Dong was happy and gay,
Till he fell in love with a Jumbly Girl
Who came to those shores one day,
For the Jumblies came in a sieve they did, -
Landing at eve near the Zemmery Fidd.

Here we see the Dong without his illuminated nose contraption. This is an instance in the poem in which Edward Lear refers back to 'The Jumblies', an earlier poem he had published in 1871. 'The Dong with a Luminous Nose' was written some time later, in August 1875, at San Remo where Lear settled during his last years.

Thursday 7 March 2013

The Jubjub Bird

'The Jubjub bird', an illustration by JVL in Lewis Carroll's  The Hunting of the Snark
Artists' Choice Editions, 2006.


As to temper the Jubjub's a desperate bird,
Since it lives in perpetual passion:
Its taste in costume is entirely absurd -
It is ages ahead of the fashion.

But it knows any friend it has met once before:
It never will look at a bribe:
And in charity-meetings it stands at the door,
And collects - though it does not subscribe.

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Raoul's Encampment

'Raoul's Encampment', an illustration by JVL in Epics of the Middle Ages
The Folio Society, 2005 ( facing page 226).

Tuesday 5 March 2013

'The Eagle and the Arrow'

'The Eagle and the Arrow', an illustration by JVL, in Aesop's Fables, Jonathan Cape, 1989.

This is a fable about an eagle being shot by an arrow which has been made with feathers that he recognises as his own. The eagle laments his plight, feeling that it is an insult to have died by means of his very own wings - hoist with his own petard, as it were, or caught in his own trap.

Here is Joseph Jacobs' version of the fable:

An Eagle was soaring through the air when suddenly it heard the whizz of an Arrow, and felt itself wounded to death. Slowly it fluttered down to earth, with its life pouring out of it. Looking down upon the Arrow with which it had been pierced, it found that the haft of the Arrow had been feathered with one of its own plumes. “Alas!” it cried, as it died, “we often give our enemies the means for our own destruction.”

Text: Joseph Jacobs, Fable 75 (1894).

Selected parallels: Aeschylus (c525-c456 BC), in a fragment from his lost Myrmidons, mentioned that this fable existed before his own time; according to the Scholiast on the Aves of Aristophanes (line 808). La Fontaine 2/6. L’Estrange 1/48.  TMI U161. Perry 276a (Babrian, Crusius 185). Byron alludes to this fable in his English Bards and Scotch Reviewers.



Monday 4 March 2013

'There was an Old Person of Grange'


'There was an Old Person of Grange', an illustration by JVL in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear
Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reissued in 2012.

Sunday 3 March 2013

'There was a Young Lady of Russia'


'There was a Young Lady of Russia', an illustration by JVL in The Nonsense Verse of Edward Lear
Jonathan Cape, 1984 and reissued in 2012.

Saturday 2 March 2013

Daffodils, wasp and hole-puncher


'Daffodils, wasp and hole-puncher', a notebook drawing by JVL,  12 April 2011.

Friday 1 March 2013

An Artichoke with Sam's Cactus and Venus Fly Trap

'An Artichoke with Sam's Cactus and Venus Fly Trap', 
a notebook drawing by JVL, 3 November 2012