"A Head of a Warrior," eleventh illustration in two parts by W. M. Thackeray for "The Rose and The Ring" (1855)

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.

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the person who scanned the image and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

Passage Illustrated: The Maid is more talented than her Mistress

When the Princess was going out of an evening she would say, ‘My good Betsinda, you may as well finish what I have begun.’ ‘Yes, miss,’ Betsinda would say, and sit down very cheerful, not to finish what Angelica began, but to do it.

For instance, the Princess would begin a head of a warrior, let us say, and when it was begun it was something like this —

But when it was done, the warrior was like this —

(only handsomer still if possible), and the Princess put her name to the drawing; and the Court and King and Queen, and above all poor Giglio, admired the picture of all things, and said, ‘Was there ever a genius like Angelica?’ So, I am sorry to say, was it with the Princess’s embroidery and other accomplishments; and Angelica actually believed that she did these things herself, and received all the flattery of the Court as if every word of it was true. Thus she began to think that there was no young woman in all the world equal to herself, and that no young man was good enough for her. As for Betsinda, as she heard none of these praises, she was not puffed up by them, and being a most grateful, good-natured girl, she was only too anxious to do everything which might give her mistress pleasure. Now you begin to perceive that Angelica had faults of her own, and was by no means such a wonder of wonders as people represented Her Royal Highness to be. ["V. How Princess Angelica Took a Little Maid," pp. 314-315]

Bibliography

Furniss, Harry. The Rose and The Ring; or, The History of Prince Giglio and the Prince Bulbo. William Makepeace Thackeray's Christmas Books. With illustrations by the author and Harry Furniss. The Harry Furniss Centenary Edition. London: Macmillan and Co., 1911. Pp. 287-428.

Titmarsh, M. A. [W. M. Thackeray].The Rose and The Ring. London: Smith, Elder, 1855.

Created 18 July 2022