A fine original pen and ink drawing depicting Old Mr. Bouncer, Mr. Tod, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Hunca Munca

n.p.: , 1912. A Wonderful Original Beatrix Potter Pen & Ink Drawing
Featuring Old Mr. Bouncer, Mr. Tod, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Hunca Munca

POTTER, Beatrix, artist. A fine original pen and ink drawing depicting Old Mr. Bouncer (Benjamin Bunny's father), Mr. Tod, Jemima Puddle-Duck and Hunca Munca. Signed “Beatrix Potter/Dec 4th 1912”.

Size 3 7/8 x 5 3/8 inches; 99 x 137 mm. Matted, framed and glazed. Framed size 15 1/2 x 16 1/2 inches; 393 x 420 mm.).

This wonderful drawing by Beatrix Potter is signed and dated "Dec 4th 1912" and features Peter Rabbit (1901), Hunca Munca (1904), Jemima Puddle-Duck (truncated) (1908) and her latest character at that time Mr. Tod (1912).

The Tale of Mr. Tod, was published in October 1912. "Dear Mr. Warne, I am much obliged for the new books [finished copies of Mr. Tod]… Beatrix Potter. Oct 9.12"

"The hills around Sawrey are the setting for this story, and we are told that in winter and early spring Mr. Tod 'might generally be found in an earth amongst the rocks at the top of Bull Banks, under Oatmeal Crag.' 'I think this story is amusing' wrote Beatrix Potter when sending the manuscript to Mr. Warne on November 18th 1911, it's principal defect is imitation of "Uncle Remus". It is no drawback for children, because they cannot read the negro dialect - I hardly think the publishers could object to it?"

Helen Beatrix Heelis (née Potter; 1866–1943), commonly known as Beatrix Potter, was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist. She is best remembered for her beloved children's books featuring anthropomorphic animals, most notably The Tale of Peter Rabbit, her first commercially published work in 1902. Her stories, including The Tale of Two Bad Mice (1904), The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck (1908), The Tale of Tom Kitten (1907) and The Tale of Mr. Tod (1912), have sold over 250 million copies worldwide. A pioneering entrepreneur, Potter played a key role in character merchandising. In 1903, she patented a Peter Rabbit stuffed toy, making him the first fictional character to be officially licensed.

Born into an upper-middle-class family, Potter was educated by governesses and had a largely solitary childhood. She kept a variety of pets and spent her holidays in the Lake District, where she developed a deep appreciation for the natural world, closely observing and painting its landscapes, flora, and fauna. Her meticulous studies and watercolors of fungi earned her recognition in the field of mycology.

In her thirties, Potter self-published The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which became a tremendous success, prompting her to pursue a full-time career in writing and illustrating children's books. Over the years, she authored more than sixty books, including twenty-three children’s tales that remain widely popular.

In 1905, with earnings from her books and an inheritance from her aunt, Potter purchased Hill Top Farm in Near Sawrey, a village in the Lake District. Over the following years, she acquired additional farms to protect the region’s distinctive landscape. In 1913, at the age of 47, she married William Heelis (1871–1945), a respected local solicitor from Hawkshead. A dedicated farmer, she became a prize-winning breeder of Herdwick sheep and was deeply committed to land conservation.

Though she continued to write, illustrate, and design merchandise for her publisher, Warne, her responsibilities as a landowner and her declining eyesight eventually limited her creative work. Potter passed away from pneumonia and heart disease on 22 December 1943 at her home in Near Sawrey, aged 77. She left almost all her property to the National Trust, playing a crucial role in preserving much of what is now the Lake District National Park.

Her books continue to be translated into multiple languages and remain popular worldwide. Her stories have been adapted into films, songs, ballet, and animation, and her life has been depicted in The Tales of Beatrix Potter (TV Movie 1983) and Miss Potter with Renée Zellweger (2006). (Inventory #: 06135)