Artwork :: Walter Crane (1845-1915)

Walter Crane (1845-1915) The Story of the Toreador’s Sword, c.1885 from “Bric a Brac Stories” by Mrs Burton Harrison

Artist: Walter Crane (All)

2 Comments - 207 Views - 1 Like

Walter Crane (1845-1915) The Story of the Toreador’s Sword, c.1885 from “Bric a Brac Stories” by Mrs Burton Harrison Comic Art

Additional Images:

The Story of the Toreador’s Sword, c.1885. Interior illustration for “Bric a Brac Stories” by Mrs Burton Harrison

1903 copy in the V&A museum

Previous Item:
Walter Crane (1845-1915) Morn and Night, Pandora study. 1885

Artwork Details

Title:	Walter Crane (1845-1915) The Story of the Toreador’s Sword, c.1885 from “Bric a Brac Stories” by Mrs Burton Harrison
Artist:	Walter Crane (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Interior Page
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	207
Likes on CAF:	1 2
Comments:	2
Added to Site:	4/26/2023
Comic Art Archive:

Description

New info found from new research.

Incredible 5” x 3 ¼” illustration by the great Walter Crane!

Artist: Walter Crane (1845-1915)
Title: The Story of the Toreador’s Sword, c.1885. Interior illustration for “Bric a Brac Stories” by Mrs Burton Harrison [Constance C. Harrison], p.110, 1885.
Medium: Pen and ink on paper
Size: Image and drawn border 6 9/16” x 4 13/16”, image on its own 5” x 3 ¼” [127 x 82mm]
Signed: no (Artist monogram looks under ink lines in corner? as this is where it is in the published version)

Notes:
a) The image is the interior illustration on p.110 [story: The Story of the Toreador’s Sword] “Bric a Brac Stories” by Mrs Burton Harrison, pub. Scribners, USA, 1885. In the UK, the book was published later in 1885 as “Folk and Fairy Tales”, pub. Ward and Downey, London.

b) This image is not the exact one used for publishing. This is at the V&A museum, titled ‘Knight on Horseback’, [We viewed it there on 13 Apr 2023] and is a larger copy done of the image, it is the same, but the ink work and lines are slightly different. A pen and ink drawing touched with Chinese white of a knight on horseback (probably St. George?) killing a dragon, with a kneeling woman in the foreground. Signed with the artist's emblem and inscribed on the back 'Pen and ink by Walter Crane. Given by him to John A. Hipkins on the death of his father, 3 June 1903'.
Height: 7.625in
Width: 5in
Signed with the artist's emblem and inscribed on the back 'Pen and ink by Walter Crane. Given by him to John A. Hipkins on the death of his father, 3 June 1903'.
Bequeathed by Miss Edith Jane Hipkins
I've included this image below too.

c) This pen and ink by Walter Crane may be a finished preliminary, or one done after. Its size is smaller than the V&A pen and ink, and also the illustration in the book.

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	Steel Shredder
Joined:	March 2022
Last Login:	September 2025
Country:	UNITED KINGDOM
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Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005

1 - Posted on 4/26/2023

Wonderful old world craftsmanship from the master illustrator to condense a full story into the piece. It looks like it could be stitched tapestry with so much line detail.

Steel Shredder
Member Since 2022

1 - Posted on 4/27/2023

Marcus Wai wrote:

Wonderful old world craftsmanship from the master illustrator to condense a full story into the piece. It looks like it could be stitched tapestry with so much line detail.

Yes Walter had a wonderful style, and along with this story by the famous arts and crafts movement William Morris, it makes a beautiful book. There were only a few hundred copies published of the first edition with Crane's illustrations, and so it's an expensive book to purchase. They did a facsimilie version which we have.

Anyway hope you like the different stuff we bring to this site! Thanks Marcus.

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