Cursing
Collection: Houston Public Library (HPL)
19th Century
India ink on paper
Location:
Houston Public Library Central Branch Art Vault
500 McKinney St
Houston, TX 77002
About the Artwork:
Cursing (19th century)
by Louis John Rhead
This illustration by British-born artist Louis John Rhead is for a book of fiction by British preacher John Bunyan published in 1680 titled “The Life and Death of Mr. Badman.” The book is a conversation between two men about the life of a sinner meant to teach Christians how to avoid evil behavior. Rhead provided illustrations for a reprint of the book in the 19th century, over 200 years later. By the late 1890s, Rhead illustrated many books, including “Robin Hood,” “Robinson Crusoe,” “Treasure Island,” and more. This piece was originally drawn with India ink, a simple black colored ink known for its richness, able to be used with a brush or pen. Note the layers of this panel, illustrating a man learning how to ‘curse’ from a devil. The bottom left, in the foreground, is a woman covering her ears; she is followed by a crying child and the cursing man, at the center; then, a devil ponders behind the man, as though overseeing the man’s cursing; finally, in the background, demons witness the scene from a faraway cliff. Rhead drew the figures smallest to biggest from left to right, creating a line of sight for viewers to follow.
Cursing (19th century)
by Louis John Rhead
This illustration by British-born artist Louis John Rhead is for a book of fiction by British preacher John Bunyan published in 1680 titled “The Life and Death of Mr. Badman.” The book is a conversation between two men about the life of a sinner meant to teach Christians how to avoid evil behavior. Rhead provided illustrations for a reprint of the book in the 19th century, over 200 years later. By the late 1890s, Rhead illustrated many books, including “Robin Hood,” “Robinson Crusoe,” “Treasure Island,” and more. This piece was originally drawn with India ink, a simple black colored ink known for its richness, able to be used with a brush or pen. Note the layers of this panel, illustrating a man learning how to ‘curse’ from a devil. The bottom left, in the foreground, is a woman covering her ears; she is followed by a crying child and the cursing man, at the center; then, a devil ponders behind the man, as though overseeing the man’s cursing; finally, in the background, demons witness the scene from a faraway cliff. Rhead drew the figures smallest to biggest from left to right, creating a line of sight for viewers to follow.
Maldiciendo (c. siglo XIX)
por Louis John Rhead
por Louis John Rhead
Esta ilustración del artista británico Louis John Rhead es para un libro de ficción publicado en 1680 titulado “La vida y muerte del Sr. Badman” del predicador británico John Bunyan. El libro es una conversación entre dos hombres sobre la vida de un pecador para enseñar a los cristianos cómo evitar el mal comportamiento. Rhead hizo ilustraciones para una reimpresión del libro en el siglo XIX, más de 200 años después. A fines de la década de 1890, Rhead ilustró muchos libros, incluidos “Robin Hood,” “Robinson Crusoe,” “La isla del tesoro,” y más. Esta obra fue dibujada originalmente con tinta india, una tinta negra simple conocida por su riqueza, que se puede utilizar con un pincel o un bolígrafo. Observe las capas de este panel, que ilustra a un hombre aprendiendo a maldecir de un demonio. Abajo a la izquierda, en primer plano, se ve a una mujer tapándose los oídos; la siguen un niño llorando y el hombre que maldice, en el centro; despues, un demonio medita detrás del hombre, como si supervisara sus maldiciones; finalmente, al fondo, los demonios observan la escena desde un acantilado lejano. Rhead dibujó las figuras, de menor a mayor de izquierda a derecha, creando una línea de visión que el espectador puede seguir.