1886
watercolor
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Leg of a clothesmoth, leg of a gnat, leg of a fly is a 1886 watercolor by Beatrix Potter, a Impressionism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This drawing shows three thin legs against a plain background. One leg is long and skinny, another has fuzzy hairs, and the third is short with feathery ends. The artist used light pencil strokes and soft watercolor washes to keep it simple. The labels next to each leg—*"leg of a clothesmoth," "leg of a gnat," "leg of a fly"*—are handwritten, like a scientist’s notes. It’s not a pretty scene, but it’s exact. Want to see more of this artist’s work? Check out Beatrix Potter.
A watercolour and pen-and-ink drawing over pencil by Beatrix Potter from 1886 presents three magnified insect legs arranged diagonally across the sheet. The top left study depicts a clothesmoth’s leg, the central and largest illustration shows an extended gnat’s leg, and the bottom right shows a curled black leg of a fly, with individual hairs visible on each. The work was donated by Leslie Linder to the National Book League in 1970 as part of a collection of 279 drawings and 38 early editions known as the Linder Collection. The collection was on long-term loan to the Victoria and Albert…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Helen Beatrix Heelis (née Potter; 28 July 1866 – 22 December 1943), usually known as Beatrix Potter ( BEE-ə-triks), was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist.
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