Egerton Castle 'He insists that his pen is mightier than his sword'

(click image to enlarge)

Egerton Castle 'He insists that his pen is mightier than his sword'

Spy (Sir Leslie Ward) (1851-1922)

Price

£4,500

Signed

Signed

Medium

Watercolour and bodycolour

Dimensions

14 x 8 inches

Illustrated

Vanity Fair, 9 March 1905

Exhibited

'The Illustrators. The British Art of Illustration 1871-2022', Chris Beetles Gallery, London, November-December 2022, no 48

Born into a wealthy publishing family, Egerton Castle was an author and swordsman, and was a leading figure in the revival of the art of historical fencing. In 1885, he wrote Schools and Masters of Fencing: From the Middle Ages to the Eighteenth Century, the standard reference on the sport, and captained the British epeé and sabre teams at the 1908 Olympic Games. He also found fame as writer of fiction, co-authoring several novels with his wife, Agnes. A number of these novels, including The Pride of Jennico (1897), Rose of the World (1905) and The Bath Comedy (1900), were later adapted into silent films.