{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O144261"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O144261/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MU2281/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2020MU2281/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2020MU2281","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London / courtesy of Frederick Warne & Co. ","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O144261","accessionNumber":"BP.622","objectType":"Watercolour","titles":[{"title":"The Amiable Guinea-pig","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) is one of the world's best-loved children's authors and illustrators.  She wrote the majority of the twenty-three Original Peter Rabbit Books between 1901 and 1913.  The Tale of Peter Rabbit (Frederick Warne, 1902) is her most famous and best-loved tale.\r\n\r\nIn 1902 Potter began working on a book of rhymes in the style of the picture books of Randolph Caldecott and Walter Crane.  By 1905 she had filled an exercise book with some 'most extremely odd rhymes' and sent it to her publisher, Norman Warne, for his approval.  He initialled the rhymes he liked best and returned the book remarking, 'One or two of them are delicious'.  Shortly after, Norman Warne died suddenly and the book of rhymes was put to one side.\r\n\r\nIn 1917, Fruing Warne, Norman's older brother, approached Potter for another story.  The firm was in financial difficulties and a Potter tale would always be sure to sell.  Potter revisited her idea of a book of rhymes and prepared an abridged version with six of the original rhymes, including one in the style of Edward Lear's limericks: \r\n\r\nThere once was an amiable guinea-pig, \r\nWho brushed back his hair like a perwig -  \r\nHe wore a sweet tie, \r\nAs blue as the sky - \r\nAnd his whiskers and buttons were very big. \r\n\r\nAppley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes was published in October 1917; although this particular watercolour illustration was not used in the book, a line version of it appears on the title page.","physicalDescription":"Watercolour drawing on paper of a guinea-pig combing its hair.  The guinea-pig stands with its back to a large oval mirror on a dressing-table and holds a small hand mirror in front (in order to see the back of its head reflected in the mirror behind). With a brush and blue bottle lying on the floor on the left of the picture.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Potter, Beatrix","id":"A18000"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"watercolour (paint)","id":"AAT15045"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"card","id":"x30344"}],"techniques":[{"text":"watercolour painting (technique)","id":"THES250889"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Watercolour and pen and ink on paper, mounted on card","categories":[{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Animals and Wildlife","id":"THES250852"},{"text":"Anthropomorphism","id":"THES252998"},{"text":"Children & Childhood","id":"THES48980"},{"text":"Books","id":"THES48986"},{"text":"Watercolours","id":"THES277714"},{"text":"Personal accessories","id":"THES48912"},{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"},{"text":"Woodwork","id":"THES48877"},{"text":"Woman Artist","id":"THES387590"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2020MU2281"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLE","id":"THES49657"},"free":"","case":"SK Temp 13","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"watercolour (painting)","id":"AAT78925"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1917","earliest":"1917-01-01","latest":"1917-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Linder Bequest [plus object number; written on labels on the same line as the object number]","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"9","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"mounted on card"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"6","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"mounted on card"}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Drawn by Beatrix Potter in 1917 as a variant illustration for Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes. Acquired by the V&A from Leslie Linder (1904-1973) in 1973 as part of the Linder Bequest, a collection of ca. 2150 watercolours, drawings, literary manuscripts, correspondence, books, photographs, and other memorabilia associated with Beatrix Potter and her family.   ","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Drawing, 'The Amiable Guinea-pig', by Beatrix Potter; variant illustration for Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes, watercolour and pen and ink on paper, 1917; Linder Bequest cat. no. LB 718.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Hobbs, Anne Stevenson, and Joyce Irene Whalley, eds. <u>Beatrix Potter: the V & A collection : the Leslie Linder bequest of Beatrix Potter material : watercolours, drawings, manuscripts, books, photographs and memorabilia.</u> London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1985.","id":"AUTH315806"},"details":"p.74, cat. no. 718.","free":"Hobbs, Anne Stevenson, and Joyce Irene Whalley, eds. Beatrix Potter: the V & A collection: the Leslie Linder bequest of Beatrix Potter material: watercolours, drawings, manuscripts, books, photographs and memorabilia. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1985, p.74, cat. no. 718."},{"reference":{"text":"'Hobbs and Whalley, Beatrix Potter : the V&A Collection, London, 1985'","id":"AUTH315806"},"details":"Brief catalogue entry, no. 718.","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Unique","id":"THES48864"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"mirrors","id":"AAT37682"},{"text":"brushes","id":"AAT236713"},{"text":"combs","id":"AAT236397"},{"text":"bottles","id":"AAT45627"},{"text":"dressing tables","id":"AAT39668"},{"text":"guinea pig","id":"x41629"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["Variant illustration for Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes (Frederick Warne & Co., 1917)"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["BP.622"],"accessionNumberNum":"622","accessionNumberPrefix":"BP","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Linder Bequest catalogue no.","id":"THES57120"},"number":"LB.718"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-09","recordCreationDate":"2008-01-30","availableToBook":false}}