‘The Christmas Dinner,’ 1893. Photomechanical reproduction of a pen and ink drawing. 3½ x 3¾ inches. An illustration in Washington Irving’s Old Christmas, 126. This is a good example of Caldecott’s early work, which is typified by its gentle humour, strong characterization and lucid storytelling. The lines illustrated only specify that the butler bearing the pig’s head is attended by two servants ‘on each side’ (126), but Caldecott endows each face with a distinct personality – even the pig’s, which seem to laugh at the scene. Caldecott excelled, like all talented comic illustrators, in finding humour in the everyday.
Scanned image and text by Simon Cooke. You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one. [Click on the image to enlarge it.]
Bibliography
Irving, Washington. Old Christmas. London: Macmillan, 1875.
Created 14 September 2024