{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O119973"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O119973/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV3802/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BV3802/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BV3802","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NP9306","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O119973","accessionNumber":"E.546:1-2005","objectType":"drawing","titles":[{"title":"The Story Of  A Tree","type":"series title"}],"summaryDescription":"Although he trained as an actor, Rolf Brandt enjoyed drawing and making collages. In his native Germany he developed an interest in Dada and Surrealism and in Bauhaus artists such as Paul Klee. He moved to London from Hamburg in the early 1930s with his brother Bill (1904–83), who became famous as a photographer.\r\n\r\nThis is one of nine illustrations that Brandt made for the children’s book <i>The Story of a Tree</i> by Stephen McFarlane. Charting the passage of a tree from forest to sawmill to carpenter’s workshop to toyshop, the images are a charming example of illustration for children at the end of the Second World War. Brandt’s interest in Surrealism is evident in some of the illustrations, especially this cover page, where the trees take on the forms of furniture and toys.","physicalDescription":"Gouache painting on thick paper pasted to brown cardboard support which has residual glue marks etc on back. Image is a row of five virtually leafless trees each with a wooden object/s, stool, chair, ladder, toy train engine and domestic utensils, drawn into the outline of each, as if part of the natural growth. Birds squirrels, a mouse and a snake perch on or fly around them. In the foreground a lizard and rabbit. The sky is yellow with clouds, the earth white, shading through to dark grey/black where it meets the sky. Centred toward top of image in caps the legend: The Story Of A Tree. Tissue cover-sheet attached by sellotape to back along top margin.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Brandt, Rolf","id":"A15576"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"card","id":"x37633"},{"text":"gouache","id":"AAT70114"}],"techniques":[{"text":"Drawing","id":"x32498"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Gouache on paper, on card support","categories":[{"text":"Children & Childhood","id":"THES48980"},{"text":"Dolls & Toys","id":"THES48967"},{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"},{"text":"Woodwork","id":"THES48877"},{"text":"Animals and Wildlife","id":"THES250852"}],"styles":[{"text":"Surrealist","id":"AAT21512"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2008BV3802","2023NP9306"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLH","id":"THES49654"},"free":"","case":"WD","shelf":"215","box":"C"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawing","id":""}],[{"text":"illustration","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1945","earliest":"1940-01-01","latest":"1949-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"1945","earliest":"1945-01-01","latest":"1945-12-31"},"association":{"text":"published","id":"x30682"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.546:2-2005","id":"O120028"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.546:4-2005","id":"O120032"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.546:5-2005","id":"O120033"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.546:6-2005","id":"O120059"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.546:7-2005","id":"O120060"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.546:8-2005","id":"O120066"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.546:9-2005","id":"O136266"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.546:3-2005","id":"O120030"},"association":"Set"}],"creditLine":"Given by the artist's children","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"36.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"43.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"painted to edge of sheet","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'The Story Of A Tree / No 1 (Cover) / R.A.Brandt.'\r\n In purple crayon below this the address: 39 Belsize Pk Gdns NW3","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On the back inscribed in black ink"}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Drawing, cover illustration for the Children's story 'The Story of A Tree' by Stephen McFarlane, Rolf Brandt, ca.1945","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"This is the design for the cover illustration for the book by Stephen McFarlane. The eight other designs for  illustrations are also in the collection. At the time of acquisition the designs were in a paper wrapper labelled with the titles of the nine drawings. It was not clear if these had been assigned by the artist, the publisher or the artist's family","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"trees","id":"AAT132410"},{"text":"animals","id":"x30274"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["The Story of A Tree by Stephen McFarlane, published 1945."],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Rolf A. Brandt (1906-86)\r\n\r\nDisplay 'Into the Woods: Trees in Illustration'; Gallery 102; June 2017 to the end of January 2018\r\n\r\nIllustration for the cover to 'The Story of a Tree' by Stephen McFarlane, published by Peter Lunn, 1946\r\n\r\nAbout 1945\r\n\r\nRolf Brandt illustrated a number of children's books in the 1930s and 1940s. In this story we see a tree chopped down, and we are then shown how the wood is used to make all kinds of wooden toys and furniture for children. The image on the cover, with trees growing into the shapes of these things, shows how Surrealism had influenced Brandt's style and his imagination.\r\n\r\nGouache on paper, on card support\r\n\r\nGiven by the artist's children\r\n\r\nMuseum no. E.546:1-2005","date":{"text":"2016","earliest":"2016-01-01","latest":"2016-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["E.546:1-2005"],"accessionNumberNum":"546","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":2005,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2005-12-20","availableToBook":false}}