The little sister would make up a jug of something good for the two oldsters

Harry Furniss (1854-1925)

Price

£750

Signed

Signed with initials
Inscribed with title and 'Philip' on reverse

Medium

Ink and watercolour

Dimensions

12 ½ x 9 inches

Provenance

Beatrice Parsons (artist’s daughter-in-law);
Mr and Mrs H P F Pattern (presented by Beatrice
Parsons)

Illustrated

William Makepeace Thackeray, The Adventures of Philip, London: Macmillan & Co, 1911 (The Harry Furniss Centenary Edition) facing page 160

Exhibited

'The Illustrators: The British Art of Illustration 1807-2026' Chris Beetles Gallery, London, November 2026-January 2027, no 3

The Adventures of Philip was William Thackeray’s final completed novel, originally published in 1861-62. The story follows Philip Firmin, a young man who expects to inherit a large fortune until his father, Dr Brand Firmin, gets into financial trouble and the inheritance is lost in a dispute over his parents' marriage and his legitimacy. Forced to make his own way in the world, Philip falls in love with and marries Charlotte Baynes, despite her family’s reservations. Eventually a lost will is discovered, establishing that Philip is the heir to his great-uncle Lord Ringwood’s wealth. In the present image, the little sister, Mrs Brandon, pours a drink for her father, the old captain, and Mr Ridley while they play cribbage.

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