Inscription surrounded by floral border: Spurge: PD.8-1980.f.12

Materials used in production

Watercolour
Graphite

Components of the work

Support composed of paper
Leaf Height 326 mm Width 255 mm

Techniques used in production

Watercolour : Watercolour over graphite on paper

Inscription or legends present

• Text: 21
• Location: Recto, upper right
• Method of creation: Watercolour

• Text: The wind flapped loose, the wind was still, / Shaken out dead from tree and hill: / I had walked on at the wind's will, - / I sat now, for the wind was still. / Between my knees my forehead was, - / My lips, drawn in, said not Alas! / My hair was over in the grass. / My naked ears heard the day pass. / My eyes, wide open, had the run / Of some ten weeds to fix upon; / Among those few, out of the sun, / The woodspurge flowered, three cups in one. / From perfect grief there need not be / Wisdom or even memory / One thing then learnt remains to me, - / The woodspurge has a cup of three. / Rossetti
• Location: Recto
• Method of creation: Watercolour

• Text: Up in the morning, up so early, / Up as early as you will, When skies are opal and clouds are parly, / Morning Glory is earlier still. / Wide awake, she holds out to you / Her white cup brimming with dawn and dew. / "I'm up the first" - cries Morning Glory, / "I saw the first lark mount to the sky!" - / To every one she is telling her story / "I gave first sip to the butterfly" / Morning Glory, so wide awake, / Are you not making a little mistake? / Lady Earth is kindly past all expressing; / Never can meet her babes with a frown; / But she likes a time to herself for dressing, / Taking her bath and donning her gown. / You and the lark were both misled, / And the butterfly ought to have been in bed. / "Up in the morning! Up so early!" / The song grows faint in the waking choir, / As the yellow-maned sun, so bluff and burly, / Swings to his noon of gold and figure. / Fast asleep in the afternoon / Is morning Glory who waked too soon. / W.G. Robertson.
• Location: Verso
• Method of creation: Watercolour

Identification numbers

Accession number: PD.8-1980.f.12
Primary reference Number: 43960
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 3 August 2020 Last processed: Tuesday 13 June 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints