A Head of a Warrior, one by Princess Angelica, the other by her maid, Betinda

W. M. Thackeray

1855

Wood engraving, probably by William Linton

Each component is 3.7 cm high by 2.3 cm wide (1 ½ by 1 inch), vignetted

Eleventh and twelfth illustrations in two parts for Thackeray’s The Rose and The Ring, p. 314.

Thackeray narrates the childhood of the Princess Angelica with an example of the kind of work that she submitted to her drawing-master. Although Angelica is inferior as an artist, producing mere caricatures, she can utilize the talents of her maid. Thus, as Thackeray demonstrates this pair of complementary squibs, Betinda transforms her mistress's little cartoon into a piece realistic portraiture. Consequently the signature ("Angelica fecit") is somewhat different underneath each representation of the warrior's head. Thus, Thackeray shows the upper class's exploiting the talents and labour of the proletariate, and expropriating their works. Descriptive headlines: "Of the Mistress and the Maid, Whilst One Worked, the Other Played" (314-15).

Scanned image and text by Philip V. Allingham.

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