‘His hair began to stiffen,’ 1893. Photomechanical reproduction of a pen and ink drawing. 2½ x 3 inches. An illustration in Hood’s Humorous Poems, 45. A prime example of Brock’s absurdism as the Fishmonger is accused of selling the Mermaid’s fishy family. The artist draws an amusing contrast between the tradesman’s workaday face and the siren’s flirtatious expression and teasing gesture. As usual, the effect is one of mock-heroic – as the siren meets with an unlikely argonaut on Margate Sands.
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
Hood, Thomas. Hood’s Humorous Poems. London: Macmillan, 1893.
Created 24 August 2024