{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O901676"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O901676/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O901676","accessionNumber":"E.307-1899","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog","type":"published title"}],"summaryDescription":"<i>An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog</i> was published in 1879 by George Routledge & Sons. It was one of the ‘Picture Books’ created as part of the collaboration of illustrator Randolph Caldecott and Edmund Evans, an innovative wood engraver and printmaker. Two picture books, printed in full colour, were published annually. They were sold for one shilling each as an affordable alternative to the hand-coloured children’s books that were more common previously. The poem, by Dr Oliver Goldsmith, originally featured in his book <i>The Vicar of Wakefield</i> in 1766. The story follows the tale of a dog who goes mad and bites his 'kind and gentle' owner; the dog dies, whilst his owner recovers from his wound. \r\n\r\nAlongside illustrations for the book (E.304 to 312-1899), Caldecott made a large-scale drawing (D.715-1905) based on a scene from the book. This large drawing was used to illustrate a lecture by Henry Blackburn on the importance of ‘line’ in design work.","physicalDescription":"Proof print of an illustration depicting a man and several dogs, with a dead dog in the foreground. The print has black linework, and is a reproduction of an ink drawing.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Caldecott, Randolph","id":"A7562"},"association":{"text":"after","id":"THES283471"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Edmund Evans Ltd.","id":"A16965"},"association":{"text":"print-makers","id":"AAT25164"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper (fiber product)","id":"AAT14109"},{"text":"printing ink","id":"AAT187371"}],"techniques":[{"text":"wood engraving","id":"AAT53303"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Wood engraving in black ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Illustration","id":"THES48938"},{"text":"Children and childhood","id":"THES48980"},{"text":"Pets","id":"THES253010"},{"text":"Death","id":"THES48970"},{"text":"Animals and wildlife","id":"THES250852"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLE","id":"THES49657"},"free":"","case":"I","shelf":"144","box":"B"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":"AAT41273"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1879","earliest":"1879-01-01","latest":"1879-12-31"},"association":{"text":"printed","id":"x46159"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.311-1899","id":"O901672"},"association":"Version"},{"object":{"text":"E.312-1899","id":"O901671"},"association":"Version"}],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"237","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"211","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'cut out the least in sky', 'all the eyes—canine—want clearing—diserne dead dog's eye in original'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Written above and below illustration in pencil"}],"objectHistory":"Purchased from Mrs Marian Caldecott in 1899, alongside several other drawings (object numbers D.1 to 6-1899) and proofs (object numbers E.17 to 354-1899).","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Wood engraving, proof, by Edmund Evans Ltd., after a drawing by Randolph Caldecott for <i>An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog</i>  by Oliver Goldsmith, London, 1885","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"Proof","id":"THES48870"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[{"text":"Caldecott, Randolph (Mrs)","id":"C4212"},{"text":"Goldsmith, Oliver","id":"N1396"}],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"dogs","id":"x34865"},{"text":"dogs (animals)","id":"x34865"},{"text":"death","id":"AAT151836"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":["An Elegy on the Death of a Mad Dog by Oliver Goldsmith"],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.307-1899"],"accessionNumberNum":"307","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1899,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-10-19","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}