‘Lor!’, Chuckled Maggy

Barry of New Forest Chimney Sweeping & Repairs finished most of his work on our kitchen extension roof today. While he was doing so, I made him a set of A4 prints from my pictures of him from the last two days.

He sent me his own images of the new lead flashings and my mug. One of our problems has been the down pipe running rainwater directly onto the tiles. Barry will extend that on Monday.

Later, I read four more chapters of ‘Little Dorrit’, and scanned four more of Charles Keeping’s expressive illustrations.

Keeping has captured the rapt expression of this child-woman being read a story in ‘ ‘Lor!’, said Maggy, giving her knees a hug.’ Despite Maggy’s previous portrait having been full face, the artist has retained an instantly recognised likeness.

‘The private residence of Mr Pancks was in Pentonville’ where the artist could well have modelled these buildings on those still extant today.

‘Mr Henry Gowan seemed to have a malicious pleasure in playing off the three talkers against each other.’ The boy peeping over the group has been cleverly included in this picture – such is the artist’s attention to detail.

‘Parasite little tenements, with the cramp in their whole frame.’

This evening we dined on Jackie’s classic cottage pie; crunchy carrots and cauliflower; tender cabbage and runner beans, with tasty gravy. The Culinary Queen drank Hoegaarden while I drank Chevalier de Fauvert Comté Tolosan Rouge 2019, a remarkably smooth low-priced Lidl find.

52 comments

  1. The artist’s attention to detail is, indeed, wonderful.
    The buildings’ balconies, magnificent door and window frames, and smog in the air…
    as well as the detail on the individuals attire, and fantastic expressions that give them so much character…
    I’d love to be an artist!

      1. Very few would be in that league, but even to be half as talented would be wonderful!
        Jackson Pollock would be the only artist I could ever attempt to aspire to, in a very humble way?

  2. Lor, great title, Derrick! 😮 😀
    BRAVO to Barry for his good work!
    Ha! you have Del Boy’s mug! Cool! Thanks to Britbox I know him! 😀
    More great Keeping artwork! His detail, his people and their expressions, his buildings, etc…all fabulous! 🙂 Thank you for introducing me to Mr. Keeping!
    One of my fav artists is Al Hirschfeld…I love his B&W drawings and caricatures.
    (((HUGS))) to you and Jackie!
    PS…Hope you are feeling well post shot!

  3. The boy’s rounded eyes accentuate a contrast between the “diagreeable” and even malicious adults at the table and the innocent outside world. those are the people who see poverty-ridden tenements as “parasite.” These illustrations tempt me to read Dickens, Derrick.

  4. I’m glad Barry is almost done.
    And I’m so pleased you’ve not suffered any after effects of the vaccination.

  5. I was wondering about that pipe when I saw the photos in the earlier post. Glad Barry will be extending it off the tiles.

    Jackie’s cooking sounds delicious!

  6. The attention to detail extends to the dog sniffing at something in the street in the final picture. It has been fun seeing these lovely illustrations.

  7. You must have made Barry feel special.

    More I get to see Charles Keeping’s illustrations, more I get determined to hunt for volumes containing the same. Thanks for introducing him to me.

  8. Ik wil toch ook eens een cottage pie proberen te maken … Enneu … , ik maak er een foto van, zodat Jackie het goed kan keuren … Wordt een beetje zo`n onbeholpen Hollandsche pie …
    Als de Slegte (Ik denk het haast van niet!!!) iets heeft van Dickens bestel ik het ook. Ben de ‘Sprookjes’ van Godfried Bomans aan het lezen: Hij had wel veel gepubliceerd, hoor … Dickens? Zoiets kennen wij niet in Holland …
    Ik kan wel wat laten zien: ‘JOHANNES’ “Er leefde eens een kikker, johannes geheten.” Eerste zin van een sprookje … Ja, leuk, hè … Nieuwsgierig? Dan blog ik het sprookje voor u in het Nederlands.
    * http://www.friedabblog.wordpress.com * Amsterdam * 29-1-2021 *

      1. Het is een oude auteur uit mijn tijd en hij was geweldig populair in Holland. Ik zou zeggen: Googelen, want ik weet zeker te weten, dat hij in alle talen is vertaald, zeker te weten in het Engels … Geboren in 1905, gestorven in 1971 … Hartaanval! Hij maakte zich te druk … Te veel aandacht overal, kwam steeds met zijn kop op tv … Ik kijk het nog eventje na, want volgens mij stierf hij in 1961 … Ik verbaasde me er oprecht over, dat hij nog zo jong was …
        Nee, Kutwijf is niet dood te knuppelen … Ik weet er alles van! Heel, veel liefs vanuit Holland!!!!
        * http://www.friedabblog.wordpress.com * Amsterdam, 31-1-2021

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