Sir Leslie Ward

Vanity Fair Caricature, Rev. Edgar Sheppard "A Great Marrier" by Spy

1904

This is a 19th century Vanity Fair color chromolithograph caricature of William Booth "The Salvation Army" by Spy (Leslie Ward) November 25, 1882, No. 2...

Vanity Fair color chromolithograph caricature of "First Violin " Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gothan by Ape (Carlo Pellegrini)...

A hand colored Vanity Fair caricature of a 19th century opera singer, M Jean de Reszke, entitled 'Polish Tenor'. The print was created by the most famou...

This is a pair of Vanity Fair color chromolithograph caricatures of the famous and beloved English musical composers and playwrights Gilbert and Sullivan by Sir Leslie Ward (Spy) (1851-1922) and Carlo Pellegini (Ape) (1839-1889). The portrait of Arthur Sullivan entitled "English Music" was published in Vanity Fair on March 14, 1874 and W. S. Gilbert entitled "Patience" was published in the Men of the Day portion of Vanity Fair on May 21, 1881. Sir Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842-1900) is regarded as the finest British composer of the 19th century. He is best known for his series of 14 operatic collaborations with the dramatist W. S. Gilbert, including such enduring works as H.M.S. Pinafore, The Pirates of Penzance and The Mikado. Sullivan composed 23 operas, 13 major orchestral works, eight choral works and oratorios, two ballets, incidental music to several plays, and numerous hymns and other church pieces, songs, and piano and chamber pieces. The best known of his hymns and songs include "Onward Christian Soldiers" and "The Lost Chord". Sir William Schwenck (WS) Gilbert (1836-1911) was an English dramatist, librettist, poet and illustrator best known for his collaboration with composer Arthur Sullivan. Gilbert's creative output included over 75 plays and libretti, and numerous short stories, poems and lyrics, both comic and serious. These Vanity Fair portraits of Gilbert and Sullivan are presented in identical ornate black wood frames and cream-colored French mats with grey inner mats. The frames each measure 21.75" x 16" x .88". The frames and prints are in excellent condition. From 1868 until February 5, 1914, Vanity Fair, a weekly magazine of social, literary and political content, was very popular in Victorian and later, Edwardian England. The most popular of its features were the full page caricatures of famous men and women of the day which included their biographies, which remains the magazines lasting legacy. Vanity Fair's most famous artists were Carlo Pellegrini who signed his works “Ape” and Leslie Ward, known as “Spy”, but many other artists and writers contributed caricatures and prose to the publication, including Lewis Carroll, Willie Wilde, P. G. Wodehouse, Jessie Pope and Bertram Fletcher Robinson. Thomas Gibson...

'Squirrel' Chromolithograph. 1897. Vignette of a theatre top right corner of the image. Vanity Fair portrait of Cyril Francis Maude (1862-1951), actor and theatre manager. 385mm...

'New York Tribune' Chromolithograph. 1902. Vanity Fair portrait of Whitelaw Reid who was a US politician and newspaper editor. 395mm by 265mm (sheet)

'The Lord Mayor' Chromolithograph. 1902. Vanity Fair portrait of Sir Joseph Cockfield Dimsdale (1849-1912), Lord Mayor of London 1901-1902. With original descriptive text. 395mm...

'Corney Grain' Chromolithograph. 1885. Vanity Fair portrait of Corney Grain (1844-1895) playing the piano. Corney Grain was a British barrister turned actor, entertainer, and music...