Artwork
Hat for Eating Bouillabaisse
Hat for Eating Bouillabaisse is a drawing by Emily Sutton. It dates from 2011 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
This is Emily Sutton’s 2011 drawing of a hat so covered in shells and sea creatures it looks like a tiny ocean on your head.
This is Emily Sutton’s 2011 drawing of a hat so covered in shells and sea creatures it looks like a tiny ocean on your head. It was made to illustrate a children’s book set inside the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The book’s heroine, Clara Button, spots the hat in the museum’s Fashion Department. Sutton drew it after leaving art school, so it’s fresh, playful work from 2008 onwards.
Look up Emily Sutton.
Overview
Emily Sutton’s 2011 drawing depicts a whimsical hat densely adorned with shells and marine creatures, creating the impression of a miniature ocean perched on a head. The illustration was created as a visual element for the children’s book Clara Button and the Magical Hat Day, a story largely set within the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Fashion Department.
Subject & Meaning
The hat functions as a focal point for the narrative’s protagonist, Clara Button, who discovers the fantastical accessory among the museum’s fashion collection. Its elaborate, sea‑inspired decoration underscores the book’s themes of imagination and the blending of everyday objects with magical elements.
Technique & Style
Rendered in a detailed drawing style, Sutton employs fine line work and delicate shading to convey the texture of shells, coral, and other marine motifs. The composition reflects her affinity for 20th‑century illustration and folk‑art traditions, combining precise illustration with a playful, child‑friendly aesthetic.
History & Provenance
Sutton, a Yorkshire native, completed her B.A. (Hons.) in Illustration at Edinburgh College of Art in 2008. The hat illustration was produced shortly after her graduation, marking an early professional commission that contributed to the visual identity of the 2011 publication.
Context
Clara Button and the Magical Hat Day situates its story within the Victoria and Albert Museum, a setting that allows the illustration to engage directly with the museum’s fashion holdings. The drawing thus serves both narrative and educational purposes, introducing young readers to museum spaces through imaginative art.
Artist & collection
Artist
Emily Sutton is an English illustrator. She is known for her illustrations in children's picture books inspired by vintage artwork and old objects.
