Mother Shipton (recto); Sheet of Sketches: Fleur-de-Lis and Figures (verso)
1864/78
Medium
Graphite and watercolor wash (recto), and graphite with brush and gray wash (verso), on cream laid paper
Dimensions
32.4 × 20 cm (12 13/16 × 7 7/8 in.)
Classification
watercolor
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
113946
Art Historical Context
Discover the whimsical yet intricate world of George Cruikshank in this double-sided sheet from 1864–78, in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints Drawings collection. On the recto, Cruikshank vividly captures *Mother Shipton*, legendary 15th-century English prophetess known for her prophecies and folklore. Rendered in graphite with delicate watercolor wash on cream laid paper, her enigmatic portrait showcases the artist's mastery of subtle shading and color to evoke mystery and character. Flip to the verso for a lively sheet of sketches featuring a fleur-de-lis motif alongside fluid figure st...
About the Artist
George Cruikshank · 1792–1878
George Cruikshank (1792–1878) was born in London on 27 September 1792, the son of Scottish caricaturist Isaac Cruikshank and Mary MacNaughton. His older brother, Isaac Robert Cruikshank, was also a caricaturist and illustrator, while his sister Eliza worked as a designer. From a young age, Cruikshank assisted his father in the studio, contributing titles, backgrounds, and lettering to cartoons by ...