Tenniel, Sir John (1820 - 1914)
Initially Tenniel had hoped to be a history painter but, after the losing the sight in one eye after a joust with his father, a fencing and dancing master, he turned to black and white art and illustrated several books in the 1840s. One of these books, ‘Aesop’s Fables’, attracted the attention of Douglas Jerrold of Punch and Tenniel began to work for the magazine in 1850. By 1864 he had succeeded LEECH as Chief Cartoonist, a post he held until his retirement in 1900. Tenniel’s Punch cartoons were elegant and stately, drawn on wood blocks. They were often strongly metaphorical, incorporating symbolic figures like Britannia, John Bull and the Russian Bear, and gave the impression of passing judgement from the commanding heights. Tenniel also illustrated Lewis Carrroll’s ‘Alice’ books and he was knighted in 1893.
Cartoons for sale:
- Beauty and the Beast
28th March 1885 - £1475
- 15cm x 20cm
- Punch
The Russian Bear is seen making up to Beauty, alias the Liberal Prime Minister, William Gladstone. Russia had been seen advancing upon the Afghan holding of Penjdeh. In mid-March 1885, Mr Gladstone announced that successful negotiations had been held between Russia and Britain with the Russians promising not to advance further and the English agreeing not to support the advance of Afghan troops. On the following day, though, Russia qualified its part of the agreement by adding the proviso that Afghanistan should not advance, attack or cause any disturbance in Penjdeh.
- Keeping The Ring
22nd July 1876 - £695
- 22cm x 16cm
- Punch
Montenegro and Serbia declared war on Turkey on 18 June 1876 cartoon.
- ALL SOLD
30th May 1885 - £1285
- 16cm x 21cm
- Punch
William Gladstone, Lord Salisbury and Randolph Churchill cartoon.
- LYING IN WAIT: Goschen (in stage whisper) "Not yet! - a time will come!!"
2nd June 1894 - £875
- 21cm x 16cm
- Punch
Viscount George Goschen cartoon.
