Valentine card: P.14414-R-102

Titles

Valentine card

Maker(s)

Printmaker: Gilks, Edward

Entities

• Valentine card

Categories

• Print
• Album

Description

Artist's proof for a valentine design on thin white wove paper with a scalloped, lace-paper edge and hand-coloured lithographed design in the style of an illuminated manuscript; a costumed bridal couple at the left follows Cupid/Hymen up some steps to a church. A pink rose and stems entwine around the couple. The illustration is signed at lower centre in brown ink: 'E Gilks del et lith'. A lithographed verse is printed to the right of the couple, with the first word illuminated: 'LO the altar stands in view, / Cupid leads the way, / Roses all the pathway strew, / Dearest 'tis the day ...'. The handwritten signature indicates that this was a proof, but probably one which the artist was happy with. '2' is written in brown ink at the upper right corner (probably by the artist). '?7 L' is written in graphite at upper right. Similar inscriptions/markings in graphite are found on other cards in the same album. The interior is blank. Pen and ink inscription on the verso, which appears as a list of symbols/code, but is indecipherable. P.14414-R-102 is one of a number of designs for valentines by Gilks which are mounted together as a group in album P.14414-R. Other designs by Gilks are contained in album P.14346-R. As Gilks emigrated to Australia in 1852, this design is most likely to have been produced either during Gilks's apprenticeship in London to Thomas Dean, between 1836-1843 or between 1844 -1850 when he was in partnership with his brother Thomas, a wood-engraver, based at 4 Fenchurch Building, Fenchurch, London.

Legal notes

Bequeathed by Dr J. W. L. Glaisher, 1928