{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1067469"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1067469/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017KD1601/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017KD1601/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017KD1601","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1067469","accessionNumber":"P.38-1983","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"Rat or Mouse","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Reuben Mednikoff (1906–1972) was a British artist associated with the Surrealist movement. In 1935 he met Grace Pailthorpe, a surgeon and psychoanalyst 23 years his senior. They began a life-long collaboration in which they used Surrealist ‘automatic’ processes as methods of psychoanalytic experimentation. This pen and ink drawing is inscribed ‘June 27 1936-2.’, indicating it was the second drawing made by the artist that day, and has a psychoanalytic interpretation written by the artist on the reverse. This demonstrates Mednikoff’s working process, drawing with the absence of conscious thought and cataloguing his progress scientifically. The image produced is like a scene from a nightmare, indicating how Pailthorpe and Mednikoff hoped to reveal repressed fears and desires through their art.","physicalDescription":"Pen and ink drawing of an imaginary architectural scene on white paper. A central abstract form takes the shape of a house with a door marked ‘21’. A featureless figure appears in a window above. The figure looks down on a large rodent which is being impaled by the doorframe. The rodent is also stabbed with a large nail. The house appears to be leaking fluid which is poured over the rodent. The upper section of the house morphs into the shape of an eye, from the pupil of which emerges liquid leading to a chamber-pot. Inscribed ‘June 27 1936-2’ lower right. On reverse is a psychoanalytic interpretation of the meaning of the drawing, written by the artist. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Mednikoff, Reuben","id":"AUTH320099"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pen and ink","id":"x30618"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing","id":"x32498"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Pen and ink drawing ","categories":[{"text":"Animals and Wildlife","id":"THES250852"},{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Surrealism","id":"THES285500"}],"styles":[{"text":"Surrealism","id":"AAT21512"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2017KD1601"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLH","id":"THES49654"},"free":"","case":"PD","shelf":"304","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawings","id":"AAT33973"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"No","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1936","earliest":"1936-01-01","latest":"1936-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"378","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"2019","earliest":"2019-01-01","latest":"2019-12-31"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"275","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"2019","earliest":"2019-01-01","latest":"2019-12-31"},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"37.8 x 27.5 cm - dimensions taken from departmental notes. Checked 2019.","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"June 27, 1936","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Dated"},{"content":"The Figure at the window is myself watching a rat (or mouse) being ill-treated [...]","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Inscribed"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Drawing, Rat or Mouse, by Reuben Mednikoff, pen and ink, 1936.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Haycock, David Boyd, Kirstie Meehan, and Sacha Llewellyn. British Surrealism. London: Dulwich Picture Gallery, 2020.  p. 82"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"rats","id":"x34798"},{"text":"mice","id":"x35692"},{"text":"cruelty","id":"x32050"},{"text":"torture","id":"x38432"},{"text":"rodent","id":"x35726"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["P.38-1983"],"accessionNumberNum":"38","accessionNumberPrefix":"P","accessionYear":1983,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-08","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}