Whittington and His Pussy. or the way the Cat jump'd.". all written in Leech's hand

1850. Pen and ink and watercolor on paper, initialled "J L" on lower left, mounted in larger sheet of paper, matted. 1 vols. 4 1/2 x 5 inches. Framed and glazed. Fine. Leech, John. Pen and ink and watercolor on paper, initialled "J L" on lower left, mounted in larger sheet of paper, matted. 1 vols. 4 1/2 x 5 inches. John Leech (1817-1864) was one of the most prolific and successful of the English artists and caricaturists of the mid 19th century. "His humour was like his talent, gentle, warm-hearted and positive, his world, the ups and downs of middle class life, the sports of the squirearchy, and the peccadilloes of army officers and undergraduates" (truncated) (Houfe). The conventions of social humor he established with his first contributions to the newly founded Punch, in 1841, lasted into the 1920s, but his greatest fame came through his book illustrations, particularly those for Surtees's sporting novels. "Extravagantly praised by Ruskin, Leech's often careless but never crude drawings have survived in charm and humour to give us a refreshing glimpse of mid-Victorian society." (Houfe). (Inventory #: 37911)