{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O117524"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O117524/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HW3590/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2015HW3590/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2015HW3590","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O117524","accessionNumber":"E.218-1994","objectType":"Watercolour","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Painter and lithographer, Paul Aizpiri (born 1919) illustrated several artist books, of which several were in Walter Strachan’s collection.  \r\n\r\nPoet and scholar Walter Strachan (1903-1994) was fascinated by the art of the book. His interest was inspired by a visit to an exhibition of artists’ books at the National Gallery in London in May 1945. In due course he wrote many articles on the subject, as well as a major reference work, <i>The Artist and the Book in France</i> (published 1969); he also encouraged successive Keepers of the National Art Library at the V&A “to buy them for England.” To this end he visited France every year, to meet the artists, and acquired proof pages to illustrate his articles and to show to potential purchasers of the books, including the V&A. Over the years he amassed a collection of images of owls; some of these were illustrations from livres d’artistes, and others were designed especially for him as gifts or greetings. The collection of owls began with a visit to the artist Roger Chastel (1897-1981) in 1952, where he witnessed the printing of <i>Le Bestiaire de Paul Eluard</i>. In a subsequent article (“Genesis and Growth of a Collection”, for <i>Connoisseur</i>, 1972) he explained: “My article on Chastel’s <i>Bestiaire</i> had the happy result of bringing me a special print on Auvergne paper of the owl which I had admired in the book. Contacts in the art-world of Paris are close and friendly, and I was marked down as an owl-man, in consequence of which I have gradually been given dedicated owl prints and originals in every medium from pen and ink to enamel…”","physicalDescription":"Watercolour drawing of an owl set against a blue, green, purple and pink background. The owl is  in green, purple, orange and brown and sits on a branch which is drawn in outline.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Aizpiri, Paul","id":"A15466"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour (paint)","id":"AAT15045"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour painting (technique)","id":"THES250889"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Images Online","id":"THES48937"},{"text":"Animals and wildlife","id":"THES250852"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2015HW3590"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLE","id":"THES49657"},"free":"","case":"I","shelf":"6","box":"E"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawing","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"France","id":"x28849"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"probably mid 20th century","earliest":"1925-01-01","latest":"1975-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Walter Strachan","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"43.6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"31","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"pour Monsieur STRACHAN / avec ma grande sympathie / AiZPiRi","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 in brown ink, lower right."},{"content":"intaglio stamped inscription (watermark?).","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Running across the top."}],"objectHistory":"This forms part of a collection of prints, drawings and paintings of owls bequeathed to the V&A by Walter Strachan (1903-1994). Strachan, a scholar and collector of Livres d'Artistes, became friendly with a large number of artists, who, on hearing that he had a fondness for owls, began sending him images to add to his collection.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Watercolour drawing, owl, by Paul Aizpiri.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Strachan, Walter J. Graphic owls from France: variations on a theme in an English private collection. <u>Connoisseur</u>. Aug. 1972. pp.240-247."}],"production":"Reason For Production: Private","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"owl","id":"x30399"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.218-1994"],"accessionNumberNum":"218","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1994,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-09-19","recordCreationDate":"2005-10-06","availableToBook":false}}