Mr. Punch in the Arts: A Watercolor Mr. Punch and His Bottler

Punch & Judy
E. Masters
Nineteenth Century
Ink and Watercolor on Paper, Unique
Tate Britain

While not much in practice today, earlier Punch & Judy shows often featured a “bottler.” The bottler acted as an assistant to the “Professor” by corralling people toward the stage. He would attract interest by playing an instrument—a drum, a violin—and acted basically as a warm-up act. Sometimes, the bottler would interact with the puppets.


Here, we see a Nineteenth Century watercolor, pen and ink drawing by English artist E. masters depicting a scene of a Punch & Judy show about to begin. The bottler bangs his drum to alert the crowds. He also seems to be playing a mouth organ which is attached to a support around his neck. Curiously, Mr. Punch appears to have already captured “the Devil” who is either impaled on the end of his slapstick or hanging from the top of the tent.

This whimsical drawing neatly captures the playful spirit of a live Punch & Judy performance. It was purchased as part of a larger collection by the Tate Britain in 1996.

Painting of the Day: “Punch” or “May Day” by Benjamin Haydon, 1829

Punch or May Day
Benjamin Haydon, 1829
Tate Collection

Benjamin Robert Haydon (1786-1846) was a well-respected English historical painter who was plagued by financial difficulties and what he considered the under-appreciation of his work. Despite his troubles, he had a verve and enthusiasm for his work and a deep love of the life of London with its bustle and hubbub. He tried to impart this enthusiasm to the public, and especially to his pupils which includedCharles Locke Eastlake.


One of Haydon’s most cherished works entitled “Punch,” or alternately, “May Day,” was painted in 1829. This brightly-hued and energetic canvas depicts a scene the May Day festivities at Marylebone Road. A flamboyantly-costumed procession parades past a lively Punch and Judy show. This painting, which he originally planned to entitle “Life,” depicts the comingling of many classes and cultures. Just before exhibiting the painting, he added the image of a merchant trying to sell artifacts to a disinterested public—a representation of his feeling of his own life, feelings which, sadly, led to his suicide at the age of sixty-one.

This work, however, belies the demons that Haydon fought. A brilliant scene of frivolity and raw humanity, the mortal condition is personified as fleeting and enjoyable. Once again, Mr. Punch speaks for the people. His very presence in this scene sends an instantly recognizable message—life can be a struggle, but we might as well enjoy it.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: “Punch and Judy” by Arthur Boyd Houghton, 1860

Punch and Judy
Arthur Boyd Houghton, 1860
Oil on Canvas
Tate Britain

Painter Arthur Boyd Houghton (1836-1875) was well-known for his small scenes depicting everyday life in Victorian London. His intimate compositions often were teeming with figures meant to show a cross section of the population of London. In this painting from 1860, Houghton uses a scene of a Punch and Judy Show (barely visible on the right) to demonstrate the universal appeal of this form of entertainment to people of all classes. Such public shows were a leveler—uniting individuals from all walks of life—with humor and good-natured political and social satire.


While the show itself is the draw, the crowd is the real theater of this scene. Here, we see a typical mix of the residences of the many sections of London. Two smartly-dressed children stand with their caregiver, should-to-shoulder with a street urchin in rags. A laborer carries a wicker-bound parcel toward an unconcerned gentlewoman. Dressed in fine clothes and a tall silk hat, a well-to-do young gentleman is being chatted up by someone of a different class. Standing out like a character from the pantomime is the uniformed lamp-lighter in his blue and red attire—symbolic of the state’s protection of society from the evils of darkness.

By centering this boiling pot of different circumstances around the common central theme of the appeal of Mr. Punch, Houghton shows us that everyone is equal where it counts.

Print of the Day: A Portrait of King Edward VII, 1899

Edward VII when Prince of Wales
Sir William Nicholson, 1899
Tate London

Sir William Nicholson (1872‑1949) created this portrait of King Edward VII when Prince of Wales in 1899, just two years before he ascended.  Here, we see a lithograph of the portrait in paper which was made after the original portrait. 

This is one of a series of twelve portraits by Sir William which were acquired by the Tate Collection in 1979. 

Card of the Day: The King at the Tate Gallery

I can imagine that Queen Mary was particularly excited about the opening of two new galleries at the Tate Gallery in London. An avid patron of the arts, Mary of Teck showed an interest in a variety of media and time periods. The opening of these new galleries was particularly important after the Great War when evidence that British culture was flourishing was more important than ever.


The twenty-fifth card in the series of Wills’s Cigarette Cards commemorating the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary shows the King visiting the newly opened portions of the Tate Gallery.

The reverse of the card reads:

THE KING AT THE TATE GALLERY


The two splendid new galleries—The Sargent and Modern Foreign Art Galleries—which the munificence of Sir Joseph Duveen added to the Tate Gallery, were opened by His Majesty on June 26th, 1926. He is seen walking with the Queen through the extensions, Lord D’Abernon, Chairman of the Board and Trustees, on his left, and Lord Peel, then First Commissioner of Works, immediately behind. The pictures of modern foreign artists were inadequately represented in this country until room was thus found for them, and a gift of £50,000 by Mr. Samuel Courtauld enabled discriminating purchase. The Tate is now the largest gallery in Europe.

Here’s a glimpse at the Tate Gallery as it is today. The original building now houses Tate Britain while the Tate Modern is a different facility. Plans to expand the complex are in the works.

Tate Britain

Mr. Punch in the Arts: “Punch and Judy” by Arthur Boyd Houghton, 1860

Punch and Judy
Arthur Boyd Houghton, 1860
Oil on Canvas
Tate Britain

Painter Arthur Boyd Houghton (1836-1875) was well-known for his small scenes depicting everyday life in Victorian London. His intimate compositions often were teeming with figures meant to show a cross section of the population of London. In this painting from 1860, Houghton uses a scene of a Punch and Judy Show (barely visible on the right) to demonstrate the universal appeal of this form of entertainment to people of all classes. Such public shows were a leveler—uniting individuals from all walks of life—with humor and good-natured political and social satire.


While the show itself is the draw, the crowd is the real theater of this scene. Here, we see a typical mix of the residences of the many sections of London. Two smartly-dressed children stand with their caregiver, should-to-shoulder with a street urchin in rags. A laborer carries a wicker-bound parcel toward an unconcerned gentlewoman. Dressed in fine clothes and a tall silk hat, a well-to-do young gentleman is being chatted up by someone of a different class. Standing out like a character from the pantomime is the uniformed lamp-lighter in his blue and red attire—symbolic of the state’s protection of society from the evils of darkness.

By centering this boiling pot of different circumstances around the common central theme of the appeal of Mr. Punch, Houghton shows us that everyone is equal where it counts.

Mr. Punch in the Arts: A Watercolor Mr. Punch and His Bottler

Punch & Judy
E. Masters
Nineteenth Century
Ink and Watercolor on Paper, Unique
Tate Britain

While not much in practice today, earlier Punch & Judy shows often featured a “bottler.” The bottler acted as an assistant to the “Professor” by corralling people toward the stage. He would attract interest by playing an instrument—a drum, a violin—and acted basically as a warm-up act. Sometimes, the bottler would interact with the puppets.


Here, we see a Nineteenth Century watercolor, pen and ink drawing by English artist E. masters depicting a scene of a Punch & Judy show about to begin. The bottler bangs his drum to alert the crowds. He also seems to be playing a mouth organ which is attached to a support around his neck. Curiously, Mr. Punch appears to have already captured “the Devil” who is either impaled on the end of his slapstick or hanging from the top of the tent.

This whimsical drawing neatly captures the playful spirit of a live Punch & Judy performance. It was purchased as part of a larger collection by the Tate Britain in 1996.

Painting of the Week: A Portrait by William Holman Hunt, 1847

William Holman Hunt, 1847
F.G. Stevens
Tate Britain

William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) was one of the founders of the Pre-Raphaelite School of artists which strove to create crisp, romantic, almost hyper-realistic artwork of fantastical themes. His early work, however, was defined by a sharply contrasting loose style of approach. This painting of Holman Hunt’s friend, F.G. Stevens is an excellent example of the artist’s early work. Here, we see a figure of a young man, painted in free, natural brushstrokes. We can, however, see the elements of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood beginning to develop in the romanticized facial features of the model.


F.G. Stevens was a frequent model for Holman Hunt and his friends. Stevens was also a painter, but later abandoned brushes for a pen and embarked on a successful career as a writer and critic. His influence, in fact, was one of the driving forces behind the acceptance of The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in England. This just goes to prove that when all of the different arts work together, something exceptional will always happen.