Sketch for "Mrs. Pottles Can't Abide a Crowd"

1856

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Impressionism Realism Early 19th Century

Dominant colour

Sketch for "Mrs. Pottles Can't Abide a Crowd" is a 1856 by John Leech, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.

Who painted this?: John Leech
When & what style?: 1856 · Impressionism
Where can I see it?: Cleveland Museum of Art

About this work

You see an older woman climbing to her house's roof to see fireworks. This sketch is interesting because it was created for a cartoon in Punch magazine. The magazine played a big role in shaping Victorian visual culture, and it helped artists like John Leech reach a wider audience. Check out the work of artist: John Leech (British, 1817–1864) to learn more about his style and contributions to Punch magazine.

The story of this work

Overview

Created for a cartoon in Punch magazine, this satirical sketch shows an older woman climbing to her house’s roof to see fireworks rather than face the street crowds. Illustrated magazines like Punch played an important role in shaping Victorian visual culture. They also offered artists a way to reach wider audiences and a source of steady income. John Leech joined Punch soon after its founding in 1841. His weekly sketches helped shape the magazine’s light humor, which was aimed at the middle class. Leech’s depictions of everyday people and use of sequential scenes were important precedents…

Read the full account in the museum source.