{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O136665"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O136665/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MD3159/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MD3159/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019MD3159","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London / courtesy of Frederick Warne & Co. ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2009CR5906","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London / courtesy of Frederick Warne & Co. ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2021MX5336","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London / courtesy of Frederick Warne & Co. ","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O136665","accessionNumber":"AR.4:415-2006","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"Newton from near Tower, Gorse Hall","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Helen Leech (1839-1931) married Rupert Potter on 8 August 1863. A daughter, Beatrix, the author and illustrator of the celebrated Peter Rabbit books, was born 28 July 1866; Bertram was born 14 March 1872. Little is known of Helen's childhood or education and much of what we do know of her as a wife and mother is extracted from Beatrix Potter's journal which gives a teenager's rather biased view of her as a disagreeable and oppressive high Victorian woman.  \r\n\r\nHelen was born into considerable wealth; her father, John Leech, was a prosperous cotton merchant and newly built the family estate, Gorse Hall, on a hill overlooking the town of Stalybridge in Cheshire. Helen's upper-middle-class upbringing would have included instruction in household management and preparation for a life in society. Girls of her class were also expected to become accomplished in the 'genteel' arts, including embroidery and drawing.   \r\n\r\nExtant landscapes, such as this sketch of the town of Newton viewed from Gorse Hall, produced by Helen before her marriage, suggest she enjoyed more than just a fashionable pleasure in painting and drawing. She shows a keen understanding of perspective and composition and an above average skill in brushwork.","physicalDescription":"Sepia pen and ink and pencil drawing of a landscape with a road and tall trees in the foreground and a man riding a horse towards a town, Newton, in the distance.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Leech, Helen","id":"A19571"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"wash","id":"AAT182748"},{"text":"drawing","id":"x32498"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Sepia ink and pencil on paper","categories":[{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"},{"text":"Landscapes","id":"THES250800"},{"text":"Woman Artist","id":"THES387590"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2019MD3159","2009CR5906","2021MX5336"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLE","id":"THES49657"},"free":"","case":"SK Temp 15","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES318013"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawings","id":"AAT33973"}],[{"text":"label","id":"AAT28730"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Gorse Hall, Stalybridge","id":"x40751"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca.1850-1860","earliest":"1845-01-01","latest":"1860-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Joan Duke","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"202","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"273","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"","value":"","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Inscribed in pencil on verso: by Helen Leech","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Inscribed in pencil on verso: Property of Joan Duke","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Inscribed in pencil on recto by Helen Leech: Newton from near Tower, Gorse Hall","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Drawn by Helen Leech at Gorse Hall some time before her marriage in 1863. Acquired by the V&A from Joan Duke in October 2006.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Sepia pen and ink and pencil drawing, 'Newton from near Tower, Gorse Hall'; landscape with tall trees and a road in the foreground and a man riding a horse towards the town in the distance; by Helen Leech, ca.1850-1860.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[{"text":"Newton, Cheshire","id":"x40752"},{"text":"Gorse Hall, Stalybridge","id":"x40751"}],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"roads","id":"AAT8217"},{"text":"rocks","id":"AAT11692"},{"text":"trees","id":"AAT132410"},{"text":"horse","id":"x30117"},{"text":"town","id":"AAT8375"},{"text":"buildings","id":"AAT4792"},{"text":"men","id":"AAT25928"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["AR.4:415-2006","AR.4:415/(I)-2006"],"accessionNumberNum":"4","accessionNumberPrefix":"AR","accessionYear":2006,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Archive number","id":"THES54576"},"number":"AAD/2006/4/415"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-09-29","recordCreationDate":"2007-06-28","availableToBook":false}}