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Walter Crane
1880s

painted mats, the four hand painted with nursery rhyme scenes "There was a lady loved a swine", How does my lady's garden grow (Mary, Mary, quite contrary);"I saw three ships" and "Here we go round the mulberry bush" each painted in beautiful shades of terracotta, ochre, blue green and sage green on cream silk grained mats, with ecru machine lace pleated frill, 7 in; 18 cm dia.

Comments

Very unusual, having attractive subject and colouring. The mats are after designs in Walter Crane's 1877 book "The Baby's Opera". Crane was a freelance designer and licensed manufacturers to produce copies of his designs, either those existing or modified versions done at their request. Crane was director of design at the Manchester School of Art 1893-7. See: Walter Crane 1845-1915 Artist, Designer and Socialist, edited by Greg Smith and Sarah Hyde. (Lund Humphreys pub. in association with the Whitworth Museum, Manchester 1989) The American Encaustic Tile Company in 1876 produced a tile of a Lady Loves a Swine design. These mats have had their outlines printed in ink and then hand coloured. Walter Crane was born in Liverpool in 1845. His formal art training began in 1857 when he was apprenticed to the engraver William James Linton, in London. This technical education enabled him to achieve a much greater craftsmanship in the art of the book than any of his contemporaries. He furthered his education by studying Japanese prints, medieval illustrations, and the work of the Pre-Raphaelites. Primarily known as a book illustrator, Crane was also a decorator, designer of wallpapers, stained glass, textiles, carpets, tiles, pottery and metalwork. He was also a writer and lecturer on the theory of design. His children's books are perhaps his best known and show his characteristic style - flat planes of color and strong outlines which were well suited to color woodblocks. Among many other positions, he was Art Director at Reading College, 1898, Principal of the RCA, 1898 -1899. He was a first President of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society, and Master and a founder member of the Art Workers Guild. He travelled extensively abroad. He died in London in 1915. Size (in): 7 x 9.75

Condition

The first , second and third are in very good condition. The fourth has a light brown stain at 22.00 hours.