Sterling Silver, Antique Flintlock Shotgun, Collectibles Estate Sale Auction
Lot 139:
Description
A set of five pen and ink drawings on toned paper by R.F. Witbeck, each depicting a character or scene from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The illustrations are rendered in a style reminiscent of John Tenniel’s original wood engravings, utilizing dense cross-hatching to create depth and texture. The subjects include a full-length figure of Alice standing, the Cheshire Cat perched in a tree, the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit dressed as a herald, and the card gardeners painting white roses red. The Mad Hatter illustration includes the inscription In this style 10/6 on the hat. The drawing of the card gardeners includes a small area of illegible text just above the signature at the lower right. Each drawing is signed at the lower right: R.F. Witbeck. The works are housed in matching gilt-finished wood frames with seafoam-green mats featuring a white wavy line pattern.
Condition report:
The paper in all five drawings shows significant uniform toning and light scattered foxing, most notably in the White Rabbit and card gardeners pieces (Photo 1). There is a visible accumulation of dust beneath the glass of several frames. The gilt wood frames exhibit minor shelf wear and small scuffs to the finish along the edges and corners (Photo 2).
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