In 1900, she sent it out to six publishers, all of whom rejected it. The simple story tells of a mischievous rabbit who becomes the bane of Mr. She returned to a tale she had created in 1893 for the son of her former governess, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. The young recipients of her letters were so delighted with Beatrix’s drawings that their mother urged her friend to consider publishing them in a book. To console herself, she continued to do animal drawings, especially of mice and rabbits, and incorporated them into letters she sent to children of her acquaintances. “It is not surprising,” writes Lurie, “that during this period of her life she was often ill, suffering from faintness, rheumatic pains, and recurring depression, and fatigue.” Her botanical drawings, her discovery of unfamiliar species of fungi, and even a scientific paper she researched and wrote were spurned by the all-male bastion of the botanical community.Īnd so, Beatrix found herself, at age 30, still unmarried, still under her parents’ stifling rules, and with few prospects. These credentials didn’t help her much once she entered adulthood. “I cannot rest, I must draw, however poor the result,” she wrote in her journal, “and when I have a bad time come over me, it is a stronger desire than ever.” Still at loose ends by age thirtyīeatrix had some art training, including informal instruction by governesses, an oil painting teacher (though that wasn’t a preferred medium), and she even had a certificate of completion from the South Kensington Art School. Considering herself plain, she sat alone in corners when compelled to go to high society parties, preferring to attend the Natural History Museum to spend time drawing what she saw there - fossils, bugs, and taxidermied animals. She also had a gift for fantasy and soon began making up stories set in the local landscape.”īeatrix remained shy and awkward as she grew into young womanhood. “Beatrix’s watercolors of caterpillars and flowers, made at age eight and nine … show the same charm, delicacy, and accuracy of observation that were to characterize her published books. Both Beatrix and Bertram were naturally gifted artists, and they filled sketchbooks with drawings of whatever they saw. They collected plants, birds’ eggs, and insects they made pets of mice, rabbits, an owl, and a hedgehog. “The children could explore the surrounding gardens and woods and fields and streams, the village lanes and farmyards, without interference …Įverything about the countryside fascinated the Potter children. As Alison Lurie described it in Don’t Tell the Grownups: Subversive Children’s Literature: Family holidays in Scotland and the English Lake District allowed Beatrix and her brother plenty of outdoor discovery time, which they did with gusto. Shy and often rather sickly, Beatrix’s loneliness fueled her fascination with the natural world and animals. An early fascination with the natural world One of her only companions was her brother, Bertram, who was six years younger than she. As was typical for girls of her class, was educated at home by governesses. Her inspiration came from the natural world that surrounded her as a child, from which sprang an imagination that delights young readers to this day.īeatrix was the daughter of conservative upper class parents, raised in a fine South Kensington home. Some of the best known are Peter Rabbit, Squirrel Nutkin, and Jemima Puddleduck. Beatrix Potter (J– December 22, 1943) was a British author and illustrator of beloved children’s books populated by animals.
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