The Russian Bear
1884
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
1884
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
The Russian Bear is a 1884 by William Giles Baxter, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This sketch shows a chaotic scene with exaggerated, cartoonish figures. A bear in a dress stands on a balcony, swinging a club at a man in a top hat. Below, a boy in striped pants kicks a ball, while another man in a hat and coat stumbles. Scattered shoes and a few loose objects lie on the ground, adding to the mess. The artist used thick, scratchy lines to create movement and drama. Notice how the lines overlap to build shadows and texture—this is called cross-hatching. Look up cross-hatching next to see how artists use it to add depth.
The drawing *The Russian Bear* by William Giles Baxter, created in 1884, served as an illustration for the British comic *Ally Sloper's Half Holiday*, which debuted that same year. Baxter contributed artwork to the publication from its 13th issue until his death in 1888. The image was part of a satirical series within the comic.
Read the full account in the museum source.
William Giles Baxter spent his short career drawing for cheap magazines, cranking out jokes and political satire between deadlines.
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