Magnificent original illustration for the 1904 Chapman and Hall edition of The Peradventures of Private Pagett by Major W. P. Drury, accomplished in gouache, charcoal, and white ink on a 10.75 x 15.25 artist’s board, and signed in the lower left in fountain pen, “Arthur Rackham 03.” One of only eight illustrations in the book, this example depicts a trio of men on a beach, each in exaggerated pose, with an apparent box of treasure at their feet, and was originally pictured opposite page 13 in the book. Penciled on the reverse in an unknown hand is the illustration’s caption, “'We noticed that they were walkin’ about wildly, and kickin’ up the sand, and flingin’ their arms to the sky, and rantin’ in their best platform manner.'” In fine condition, with old adhesive residue in the borders, not affecting the sketch or signature, and easily matted out. Accompanied by a photocopy of the illustration from the book. Such intricate and identifiable works from Rackham are quite uncommon and highly sought-after.
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