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Lot Essay
This delightful double iteration of Paddington Bear, one of the most loved characters from children’s literature, is by Peggy Fortnum, whose illustrations of the Peruvian Bear brought Michael Bond’s stories to life for millions of children (and adults) around the globe since the first book, A Bear Called Paddington, was published in 1958. The artist went on to illustrate a further eight books in the series, before again returning to the beloved bear a further three times, lastly in 1983.
On receiving the manuscript of the first book, Fortnum was completely captivated. She took great care in developing Paddington as a character, visiting London Zoo to observe, draw and photograph the Malayan Bears to ensure she captured all their key details. 'At the beginning, I wasn’t sure of the anatomy', she wrote, 'I wasn’t sure what to do with his paws … It takes an age to get it right'.
Whilst many of her illustrations were black-ink line drawings (much like the drawing on the reverse of the present lot), Fortnum was known to use watercolour in her drawings; even colouring in small illustrations in letters to young fans of Paddington. The present drawing is unusual in that it brings together her early pen and ink illustrative style and her later use of colour.
Fortnum's illustrations epitomise Paddington for generations of of readers and crucially she brought to life the author's vision. Michael Bond said of Fortnum, 'She thought very highly of Paddington, as I did of her. It was a happy combination'. (see J. Eccleshare, 'Peggy Fortnum' The Guardian Obituaries, 4 April 2016).
On receiving the manuscript of the first book, Fortnum was completely captivated. She took great care in developing Paddington as a character, visiting London Zoo to observe, draw and photograph the Malayan Bears to ensure she captured all their key details. 'At the beginning, I wasn’t sure of the anatomy', she wrote, 'I wasn’t sure what to do with his paws … It takes an age to get it right'.
Whilst many of her illustrations were black-ink line drawings (much like the drawing on the reverse of the present lot), Fortnum was known to use watercolour in her drawings; even colouring in small illustrations in letters to young fans of Paddington. The present drawing is unusual in that it brings together her early pen and ink illustrative style and her later use of colour.
Fortnum's illustrations epitomise Paddington for generations of of readers and crucially she brought to life the author's vision. Michael Bond said of Fortnum, 'She thought very highly of Paddington, as I did of her. It was a happy combination'. (see J. Eccleshare, 'Peggy Fortnum' The Guardian Obituaries, 4 April 2016).