£4,000 - £6,000
Edmund Blampied RBA, RE, (Jersey, 1886-1966) thirteen studies for book illustrations for "The Story of the Farm" by Eva Soandso, pencil, gouache and watercolour on card, including the cover image, some signed, titled and annotated in pencil and ink by the artist as follows: "The Story of the Farm by Eva Soandso" signed "Blampied" lower left. (Cover). "No.2 Feeding Pigs Rough colour sketch". "The Ducks Rough colour sketch". "Workers eating their dinner in the hayfield Rough suggestion". "No.6 Milking the Cows". "Rough colour sketch No1 Going to the farm in cart". "Roug [sic] sketch Going home from the ploughing". "The Smithy Rough colour sketch". "Rough colour sketch". "Hens and chickens rough colour sketch". Signed "Blam" lower right. "Making Hay. Rough colour sketch". "No 7 The threshing Machine". "Sheep shearing Rough colour sketch". unframed, sheet sizes from 12½ x 10in. (31.7 x 25.4cm.) to 15 x 10½in. 38.1 x 26.7cm.) image sizes from 11½ x 9in. (29.2 x 22.9cm.) to 13¼ x 10¼in. (33.7 x 26cm.). *These are preparatory studies for a book commissioned by Edwin Jack and published by Thomas Nelson & Sons in 1920 with the title "At the Farm" by Evelyn Stuart Hardy. Edmund Blampied's illustrations for books published by Thomas Nelson & Sons was the subject of an article by Dr Andrew Hall published in the Societe Jersiaise Annual Bulletin for 1999, 27(3), 410-425 in which these preparatory studies are discussed and the study for the cover was illustrated (plate 5). A copy of the article accompanies this lot. The following is an extract from this article: "While Blampied was finishing the illustrations for Baby's Annual in March 1919, Jack mentioned that Nelson were preparing a Farm Book for children for which they required 13 drawings in colour and 40 in black and white - a large commission. This was the most substantial book that Blampied illustrated for Nelson and took nearly six months to complete between March and September 1919". Jack had commissioned Evelyn Hardy, a children's writer, to prepare a book to instruct children about farm life. While Hardy was writing the text, Jack asked Blampied to work on colour illustrations based on suggestions for subjects from Hardy so that they could be evenly dispersed throughout the book. After Hardy had completed each quarter of the manuscript Jack sent it to Blampied in Jersey to read and make notes of subjects for the black and white illustrations. Although At the Farm, as the book was eventually titled, is a story of two children's visit to their nurse's uncle's farm, a curiously indirect relationship, it was supposed to be an instructional storybook. Blampied's childhood familiarity with farm life in Jersey and his skill in drawing farm animals considerably strengthened the concept". **Provenance: By descent in the family of Dr James Evans Jnr. who was given the studies by the artist when a child. He was visiting with his father, Dr James Evans Snr., who was a friend of Edmund Blampied. They were given to the young boy to "cheer him up".
*Colours strong. Some fractures and minor tears to edges. Light foxing. Acidity in the card support has darkened the background creating an imbalance which could be improved by conservation treatment.
Fees apply to the hammer price:
Free Registration
27% inc VAT*
Flat Fee Registration
24.00% inc VAT*
