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DESCRIPTION: On offer here is a charming curiosity which is sure to appeal to Cecil Aldin aficionados, and especially to those familiar with his two favourite hounds, the bull terrier Cracker and the Irish wolfhound Micky. These two wonderful canines appeared in a famous book illustrated by Aldin, called Sleeping Partners, in which they both compete for comfortable spots on the sofa, often resulting in hilarious sleeping positions . Such was Cracker's fame in particular that when he died he received his own obituary notice in The Times newspaper.
Aldin was constantly experimenting with new mediums. This original artwork has been started with a stencilled background, and then continued by the artist by hand with pencil, crayon and ink, with some scratching out to emphasise certain areas. The highly detailed pencil work by Aldin is exquisite and can only really be appreciated close-up.
These ivorines on stencilled bases are rare, and when they do appear on the market they are often mis-described. But they are nevertheless highly attractive. A definitive catalogue raisonée of Aldin's works is yet to be done, but must surely include a section on these lovely ivorines.
Here is an excellent article on the two dogs.
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