’This is the house that Jack built’

Randolph Caldecott

1878

Coloured wood-engraving engraved by Edmund Evans

7¾ x 6 ¾ inches

Illustration in the House that Jack Built, 2.

This is an illustration from Caldecott’s first book (of 16) for Evans. The artist quickly establishes the tone of his series, embodying his notion of Dear Old England in this charming design. He includes all of the most important ingredients in his picturing of the Regency past: idealized characters dressed in old-fashioned clothes; an idyllic rural setting; genteel idleness; and polite social interactions. The effect is emollient, conjuring a paradise of clear skies and quietude.

Scanned image and text by Simon Cooke. [Click on image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

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