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RATTY WARMING HIS HANDS BY THE FIRE (1953)
SHEPARD, E.H.
An original sketch by E.H. Shepard of Ratty from The Wind In The Willows. Signed "EHS". 150mm x 104mm. The image shows Ratty sat in an armchair, warming his hands by the fire. On the rear of the sketch is a letter to the artist Harold Riley, "Harold, here's Ratty that you love so much, warming his hands by the fire. Please come next weekend! I promise some Rhubarb pie. Love, Uncle Ernest."
In very good condition.
An enigmatic depiction by E.H. Shepard of the beloved Ratty from The Wind In The Willows, with a distinguished provenance, being a gift from the great English artist Harold Riley. Riley was mentored by L.S. Lowry, and became one of the greatest portrait artists of the twentieth century, capturing Nelson Mandela, President John F. Kennedy, Prince Philip, and other great figures of the age.
PROVENANCE: E.H. Shepard (1879-1976); Harold Riley (1934-2023), later gifted by Riley to a friend.