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• Auction House:
  Theodore Bruce
• Sale Name:
  Timed Online Auction | Art | Australian & International
• Sale Date:
  16 Nov 2020 ~ 6pm (AEDT)
• Lot #:
  6056
• Lot Description:
  George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier
  (1834-1896) France/Britain
  Juvenile Utilitarianism
  Pen & ink
  18 x 28 cm, 32 x 40.5 cm overall
  Condition: Paper age discoloured, some foxing across surface & to underside of glass, probably laid down. Original framing.
  Signed lower left; Inscribed on matt:; "Where are you going to, Papa","To the City, my dear", "And what are you going to the City for, Papa", "to make money for you & Maud & Mamma, & Baby", "You don't need to trouble to make money for Baby, Papa", "Why not my Dear?", "He'll only put it in his mouth" Inscribed verso: "Christmas 1931/ Dear Jeffery Farnol (1878-1952),/ The Girl on the right is Sylvia [daughter of George du Maurier] mother of Peter Pan, the one on the left who is in the Martian is Ma(r)y & the Baby is Jas. Hook/ yours ever/ Gerald du Maurier"
• Provenance:
  Collection of Jeffery Farnol (1878-1952) Britian; Collection of Charmain Jane Curtis, thence by descent
• Notes:
  George du Maurier was a Franco-British cartoonist & writer, known for his work in Punch & his novel, Peter Ibbetson 1891 & for his Gothic novel Trilby 1894, (which inspired Gaston Leroux's novel Phantom of the Opera) featuring the character Svengali & The Martian 1898. He was the father of the actor Sir Gerald du Maurier (1873-1934) & grandfather of the writers Angela du Maurier & Dame Daphne du Maurier, & the artist, Jeanne du Maurier. He was also the father of Sylvia Llewelyn Davies & grandfather to the five boys who inspired J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan, & father to Beatrix du Maurier (d.1913) & Marie Louise du Maurier (d.c.1925). The Llewelyn Davies family played an important part in J.M. Barrie's literary & personal life, the family, consisting of Arthur (1863–1907), Sylvia (1866–1910) (daughter of George du Maurier), their five sons: George (1893–1915), John (Jack) (1894–1959), Peter (1897–1960), Michael (1900–1921) & Nicholas (Nico) (1903–1980). J.M. Barrie became acquainted with the family in 1897, meeting George & Jack (& baby Peter) with their nurse (nanny) Mary Hodgson in London's Kensington Gardens. He lived nearby & often walked his Saint Bernard dog, Porthos in the park. He entertained the boys regularly with his ability to wiggle his ears & eyebrows, & with his stories. He did not meet Sylvia until a chance encounter at a dinner party in December. She told Barrie that Peter had been named after the title character in her father's novel, Peter Ibbetson. The character of Peter Pan was invented to entertain George & Jack. Barrie would say, to amuse them, that their little brother Peter could fly. He claimed that babies were birds before they were born; parents put bars on nursery windows to keep the little ones from flying away. This grew into a tale of a baby boy who did fly away.
• Estimate:
  A$1,000 - 2,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Art

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.