Two Nursemaids

Charles Samuel Keene

1870–1891 · Pen and brown ink, brush and wash · Drawings and Prints

Two women, whose uniforms identify them as nursemaids are shown here in a bedroom. One sits and reads by fireplace near small stockings hung to dry. The other enters through an open door and looks across the room with a surprised expression. This may have been Keene's preliminary idea for a humorous wood-engraving published in Punch in 1881, titled "The Servants"–the latter shows a nursemaid scolded by her mistress for ignoring a baby as she reads a sensational novel. Keene was a leading British illustrator who worked for Punch between 1864 and 1890. His imagery generally focused on humorous situations in humble surroundings, unlike his contemporary George Du Maurier who satirized London society.

Artist

Charles Samuel Keene

Date

1870–1891

Medium

Pen and brown ink, brush and wash

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1907