Chris Beetles Gallery

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The Holiday Spirit

Ernest Howard Shepard (1879-1976)

Price

£4,500

Signed

Signed and inscribed with title and 'Poem in "Punch"' below mount

Medium

Ink

Dimensions

13 x 9 ¼ inches

Illustrated

Punch, 12 June 1935, page 703, 'The Holiday Spirit'

Exhibited

'The Illustrators: The British Art of Illustration 1800-1997', Chris Beetles Gallery, London, November 1997-January 1998, no 307;
'E H Shepard at Punch, 1907-1952', Chris Beetles Gallery, London, July 2019;
'The Illustrators: The British Art of Illustration 1791-2024', Chris Beetles Gallery, London, November 2024-January 2025, no 74

Put away your pens and books,
children, school is done with;
pull your hats down from their hooks
and your comrades run with!
lads and lassies, earth is gay –
flowers and lambs are springing;
all youth has a holiday –
let us hear you singing!

Turn aside from motley toil,
leaders of the great world –
kings and rulers – from the coil
wherein you were fate-hurled.
come and jest awhile, you too,
come and take your pleasure,
come and get your strength anew –
you must have your leisure.

Pile your tools and shut your shops,
craftsmen, hard contriving;
lo, the wheel of labour stops –
cease to-day from striving.
out into the friendly air,
leave behind your pothers;
take your good wife to the fair –
she has also bothers!

Stay your flow of vain regrets,
ancients in your ingles;
dwell not on your pains and frets –
rain with sunshine mingles;
dream your hearts are once more blithe
and you still go maying;
dream your limbs are strong and lithe,
dream we all are playing!