{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O138783"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O138783/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EJ6689/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EJ6689/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EJ6689","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O138783","accessionNumber":"S.416-1980","objectType":"Print","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This lithograph by Albert Houthuesen, drawn at the 1969 season at London's Cambridge Theatre, represents the clown Bip, the character invented by the French mime artist Marcel Marceau (born 1923).  With his battered opera hat decorated with a single, long-stemmed flower, and his striped pullover, the silent Bip became identified with Marceau in the same way that Charlie Chaplin's downtrodden little man became indelibly associated with Chaplin. Indeed, seeing Chaplin's act inspired Marceau's career.\r\n\r\nAlbert Houthuesen (1903-1979) was born in Amsterdam but came to London with his mother in 1912 after the death of his father.  After attending  the Royal College of Art, he became a teacher and subsequently a full-time artist.  His work covered a wide range of subjects and mediums but he always loved the theatre, dance and clowns. He was so enthusiastic about Marceau's work that he bought all the front row stalls seats one night during the run and invited his friends, on the condition that each guest bring a flower or posy which were to be thrown on stage for Marceau at the curtain-call.","physicalDescription":"Head and shoulders portrait of the mime artist Marcel Marceau as Bip in his characteristic stove-pipe hat decorated with a long-stemmed flower. Lithograph hand-painted with a light blue wash with darker blue gouache background.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Albert Houthuesen","id":"A20053"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":"Known as Albert"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"},{"text":"watercolour (paint)","id":"AAT15045"},{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"}],"techniques":[{"text":"lithograph","id":"x39981"},{"text":"hand colouring","id":"AAT133555"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"lithograph and watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2010EJ6689"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES356679"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":""}],[{"text":"lithograph","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"c.1950","earliest":"1945-01-01","latest":"1954-12-31"},"association":{"text":"drawn","id":"x30545"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.417-1980","id":"O138789"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.418-1980","id":"O138790"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.419-1980","id":"O138792"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.420-1980","id":"O138793"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.421-1980","id":"O138794"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.422-1980","id":"O138800"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.423-1980","id":"O138807"},"association":"Object"},{"object":{"text":"S.425:1-1980","id":"O138881"},"association":"Object"}],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs Catherine Houthuesen","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"47.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"35.9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Signed in the stone 'Houthuesen'","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":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Marcel Marceau (1923-2007) as Bip. Lithograph, coloured by hand, by Albert Houthuesen (1903-1979).  Given by Catherine Houthuesen.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"John Rothenstein ‘British Art Since 1900’, 1962.\r\nJohn Rothenstein ‘Albert Houthuesen: An Appreciation’ 1969.\r\nJohn Rothenstein ‘Modern English Painters’ vol 111, 1974.\r\nRichard Nathanson ‘Walk To The Moon – The Story of Albert Houthuesen’ 1990.\r\nDavid Buckman ‘Artists In Britain Since 1945’, 2006"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Marceau, Marcel","id":"N5468"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.416-1980"],"accessionNumberNum":"416","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":1980,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-14","recordCreationDate":"2007-08-29","availableToBook":true}}