The 'Pas de Deux!' (1878)

Sir John Tenniel is the artist behind "The 'Pas de Deux!'", dated 1878. The catalogue places it in Illustration. The format is portrait. Illustration in brief: Printing methods such as woodcut, engraving, lithography, and photomechanical reproduction each shaped how illustrators worked. Illustration serves a text or a story, a tradition that runs from decorated medieval manuscripts to printed book plates, magazines, and posters. Historical background, 1878: In the 1890s, colour lithography and Art Nouveau made the illustrated poster a celebrated art form. Japanese prints reached Europe in large numbers and influenced many artists, while photography changed what painting needed to do.

Buying "The 'Pas de Deux!'" means getting a digital file, not a physical print: Digital JPEG + PDF files, 300 DPI, delivered by email once payment is confirmed. A 300 DPI file is intended for printing at home or at a local print shop, where you can choose a matte, satin, or fine-art paper to suit the room. A portrait format suits narrow wall spaces, hallways, and the area beside a door or window. Illustrative graphics are valued for their decorative line work and narrative quality, which makes them a strong fit for gallery walls, kids rooms, studies, and more intimate interiors. A simple frame with a mat often helps an image settle comfortably into a room. Matte and fine-art papers reduce glare in bright rooms, while glossy papers give stronger contrast and deeper blacks. Choosing a standard frame size and printing to fit it often saves the cost of custom framing. Screens and printers render colour differently, so a small test print is a sensible way to check tones before committing to a large size.

English, 1820–1914

If you like the visual language of Sir John Tenniel, explore more works by the same artist in our collection.