Raymond Sheppard and Brian Marks' found artworks (Part Three)

Brian Marks (Part One) is here
Brian Marks (Part Two) is here

Now we have the other artworks which are lovely but have nothing to help me identify them - those who know me, know that won't stop me commenting! The collection comes from Brian Marks' father and is in such good condition. Same thing as last time, I'd recommend going to his Flickr account if you want to see these in hi-resolution as I've uploaded a smaller size here and downloaded the best version for my records

Magpies on nest, Raymond Sheppard
38.5 cm x 30 cm

Magpies and gold ring

I love the clarity of the offering from one magpie to another of a gold ring to join the others sketched in within the nest. The woodland recedes in the background is a very sketchy manner. But those birds show Sheppard's observation skills and I recently surprised my Grandson, they do have blue on the feathers!

Prone body
36.5 cm x 26.5 cm, Pastel, unsigned Raymond Sheppard

Prone figure

I have good news here. It took me a while but I found it in my collection of published work: Everybody's 5 December 1953 has a story "Ship with a cargo of murder" by Captain R. Barry O'Brien and the image heading up the story shows this prone body in place!

Everybody's 5 December 1953, p.30

It has a caption: "Almost before the Captain could cry out Big George had stabbed him twice and the other Greeks had disposed of the mate". It's very interesting to see that Sheppard has used one medium for the sketch and put so much detail into it. And I think I'm right in saying, it looks like Raymond Sheppard himself modelling for the prone body!

Tiger cub
22.5 cm x 18 cm, unsigned Raymond Sheppard , board

Tiger cub

Again I can comment here. Christine has in her cuttings collection an example of a Christmas card with - you guessed it - this very tiger cub. It also was signed and produced with a single colour

Coloured Christmas card with tiger cub

Lion, Raymond Sheppard
28.5 cm x 53 cm

Lion

Lion and Puff Adder, Raymond Sheppard
34.5 cm x 44.5 cm, "Lion and puff adder, Africa"

Lion and Puff Adder (Africa)

Both of the above lion images are interesting as they look to be drawn around the same time, same media, same paper. The subjects are common to Sheppard's work. Art Directors knew he could produce exciting shots of animals in situ. But I have no other information on these, but wouldn't be surprised to find they were published somewhere, early on in his career. 

Fox in Woodland, Raymond Sheppard
44 cm x 37.5 cm deframed painting

Fox in woodland

Christine Sheppard owns many images of woodland scenes - quite a few created around Mill Hill, London. But I must say this is the most interesting due to the branches drawn on the landscape here.

So finally we come to how Brian has these images to share with us.

It started with a cold call email - which I am happy to receive - saying 

"I have several Raymond Sheppard pictures. They belonged to my father, who kept them under his bed for 50 years. They are not in great condition and I am wondering what to do to preserve them, or perhaps get some of them restored. if the value justified that." 

I don't know anything about preservation except to say keep a lot of artwork out of sunlight! But when it came to seeing the images, of course I was super excited. here's the story:

"In brief, the work was given to my [late] Dad when he left lodgings in the artist's house. He rented a room there in the years after Raymond's death."

"At the age of 26 in 1959 Dad concluded his service in the army and secured a job in London at GEC. We believe a colleague from work suggested that he reside where he was staying, which happened to be with the Sheppards. I discovered a telegram addressed to the Sheppards notifying Dad of his own father's passing, dated 1962, indicating that he lived with them for a few years.  He met Mum around 1964, I believe, at a point when he had already moved out of the house but likely remained in the vicinity"

Christine mentioned the following:

"I certainly remember Ron Marks very well when he lodged with our family (my mother and brother and I) from 1959. He was a very kind man to us all and we spent quite a lot of time together. As I remember it, he had lived in Sidmouth, Devon and his mother came to stay with us from there at least once for a little break. He worked at GEC a short bus ride away in Stanmore and his work colleague whose name I cannot remember also lodged with us"

I'm so grateful to Brian, his Mum and Christine Sheppard for their interest and kindness in adding to the story. Brian also sent along some photos of the time his Dad was staying at the Sheppard's home which pleased Christine no end as she remembered Brian's Dad well.

Raymond Sheppard and Brian Marks' found artworks (Part Two)

Brian Marks (Part One) is here

So let's continue working through the fantastic collection of Brian Marks' father. I'd recommend going to his Flickr account if you want to see these in hi-resolution as I've uploaded a smaller size here and downloaded the best version for my records

The Old Man and the Sea, rejected image? Raymond Sheppard 22 cm x 19.5 cm, Old Man and the Sea, "NO" on protective cover sheet - rejected image?, Page 50 - "He adjusted the sack and carefully worked his way back"

The Old Man and the Sea Text on p.49

This is wonderful to see. I've covered the Hemingway classic "The Old Man and the Sea" before (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3) and included some unpublished drawings and here are more in my opinion. The text on this first image appears actually on page 49 of the older editions of which I have three and I checked. This image has an almost linocut look to it!

Dolphins, Raymond Sheppard
23 cm x 16 cm, "No" written on protective cover sheet, rejected image? Page 70 - Dolphin

 

The Old Man and the Sea Text on p.67-68

Now, this image is interesting as they look nothing like dolphins and Raymond Sheppard the consummate animal artist would know that. Early on in the book, the man encounters a black bird (a cormorant?) fishing and diving and he realises the flying fish are being chased by dolphin. 

But as you can see Brian tells us that the image above has "Page 70" written on it.  On pages 67-68 the man encounters a dolphin on his line and a passage begins of his lonely journey and his gutting the dolphin. I noticed that Tunnicliffe's illustration of this shows, not a dolphin, but similar fish to the above and that set me searching. 

I had never heard of a dolphin fish - or Mahi-Mahi but once I started reading I realised why in the book the man calls the 'dolphin' Dorado (page 69) as they sheen like gold. Mystery solved! It was relatively easy for me to search online, but how did Tunnicliffe and Sheppard know the Hemingway references were to smaller fish called 'dolphin'?

The Old Man and the Sea, rejected image?, Raymond Sheppard
24 cm x 20 cm, "NO" written on protective cover sheet, rejected image? "Page 53 - '...would have pulled him overboard'"

The Old Man and the Sea Text on p.49

The third of these unpublished drawings shows the weary man in the bow of the boat holding fast to the line.

Just then the fish gave a sudden lurch that pulled the old man down onto the bow and would have pulled him overboard if he had not braced himself and given some line (p.53)

Shark Pack, Raymond Sheppard
24 cm x 33 cm "They came in a pack" Rejected image? "NO" written on protective cover sheet

The Old Man and the Sea Text on p.108

There are two obvious 'shark' stories in Lilliput (April-May 1951 "Half a ton of tail" by Charles Osborne and July 1956 "Last dive" by John Sidney) but neither have that text or that page number as a likely candidate. However the shape of the image is so like Lilliput or Everybody's illustrations I've seen. "Page 114" was the clue that set me looking in "The Old Man and the Sea" again - and sure enough, this passage (page 108) begins just like that:

But by midnight he fought and this time he knew the fight was useless. They came in a pack and he could only see the lines in the water that their fins made and their phosphorescence as they threw themselves on the fish.

Illustration, Raymond Sheppard
27 cm x 19.5 cm "Page 124 - He started to cry again" "NO" written on protective cover sheet.

The Old Man and the Sea Text on p.113

Well, this caused me a lot trouble. That 'tankard' is steaming. Is the man the owner of the establishment, or has he made the boy, who's serving the drink, cry? I remembered that in "The Old Man and the Sea" the sad ending has the boy crying so went back to reading. And imagine my surprise! 

He went into the Terrace and asked for a can of coffee.
“Hot and with plenty of milk and sugar in it.”
“Anything more?”
“No. Afterwards I will see what he can eat.”
“What a fish it was,” the proprietor said. “There has never been such a fish. Those were two fine fish you took yesterday too.”
“Damn my fish,” the boy said and he started to cry again.

So I think Brian will be pleased to learn 5 images are from the one book. These five images remind me of what a tremendous read "The Old Man and the Sea" is!

Owl, Raymond Sheppard
24 cm x 27 cm, "- SHADOW OF DOUBT - (Page 2 of paste up) As it spread its wings and glided downwards, I could see that it held a body in its talons"

Original art

I was excited when I saw this image as the whole left-hand side has been 'whited-out' and did not appear in the published version in the magazine Young Elizabethan (March 1955, page 29). It accompanied the story "Shadow of a doubt" by Leighton Houghton. Why the decision was made to eliminate the two boys - just visible - we may never know but the published version still shows off Raymond Sheppard's talent of bringing birds to life.

Young Elizabethan March 1955 p.29

Trylla, Raymond Sheppard
16.5 cm x 25,5 cm "TRYLLA - FRONTIS PIECE -from page 2 'Trylla was obliged to stay outside the group'"

Trylla and other small fry - Frontispiece

I'll write about this book "Trylla and other small fry" by Gunnar Gunnarsson (and translated by Evelyn Ramsden), at a later date as it contains a dozen images by Sheppard. It was published by Hutchinson in their series 'Hutchinson's Books for Young people' circa 1947 and this is the original art for the frontispiece. As it was used in the position opposite the title page, it didn't get published with the caption listed on the original board.    

Pride of Lions, Raymond Sheppard
26.5 cm x 17 cm, "Page 21, illustration for head of page"

The Old Man and the Sea POSSIBLY p.19

After all the detective work and luck with the "The Old Man and the Sea", I went looking there first but couldn't remember any lions in that story! However, the old man does mention in passing having seen lions on the beach - and this does appear early on in the book (page 19), but this might be from somewhere completely different. So I shall leave this one open until I find it elsewhere, - what do you think?

 “When I was your age I was before the mast on a square rigged ship that ran to Africa and I have seen lions on the beaches in the evening.” “I know. You told me.” “Should we talk about Africa or about baseball?” “Baseball I think,” the boy said.

Part Three of Brian's collection, to follow