The Rabbits' Christmas Party: The Departure The Rabbits' Christmas Party: The Departure by Beatrix Potter, c 1892. This is the last in Beatrix Potter's delightful series of exquisite paintings titled The Rabbits' Christmas Party. The paintings in this series were critically acclaimed and are today considered among Miss Potter's finest works, if not her finest of all. (Prints of the other paintings in the series are available in my gallery as well.) Description: The party now over, the gentleman rabbits are graciously taking their leave of the lovely lady rabbit hostesses. One gentleman rabbit is slipping into his blue top coat while another shakes the hand, er paw, of one of the lady hostesses and gives her a proper Continental-style kiss to the cheek. Another gentleman rabbit is headed out the door snug in his coat and lit on his way by the candle held in the paw of the lady rabbit who is holding the door open for him. From the way he's looking at her, one guesses he quite likes her. In the foreground are some of the remains of the party: tea kettles, a bowl still piled high with lettuce or greens of some sort, crockery and a dish towel. Above, herbs hang from hooks set into the ceiling beams to dry, and I suspect those herbs might be chamomile (perhaps for brewing chamomile tea for bad little rabbits with tummy aches). A garden spade and rake, along with stacks of clay pots, hint of adventures at a certain farm yet to come. One wonders whether a certain bad little rabbit's mother and father met at this party. Signed with the artist's initials at lower left corner. As there is nothing overtly suggesting Christmas in the painting other than the title and the topcoats which hint at snow, this print can be displayed year round if you wish, or at least through the winter months if you like to change your artwork with the seasons. This print is intended for matting and framing or may be hung as a poster. The white border makes the mounting and matting process easier if you plan to frame it. If you prefer a bleed poster (no white border), a borderless version is available in my gallery's Beatrix Potter Christmas Collection. The default setting here is for the “basic” paper option. Do try out the other paper options and choose the one which suits your taste and budget. The papers with UV protection will give you a longer lasting print, one you can hand down in the family, and I would certainly recommend this option if you plan to hang the print in a sunny location. I would not choose the canvas option myself, as it is not in keeping with this print (the original being ink and watercolor on paper, not oil on canvas). About the original work of art: Artist:Beatrix Potter Title: The Rabbits' Christmas Party: The Departure Date: c 1892 Medium and substrate: Ink and watercolor on paper. Series: Fourth and final in a four-painting series “The Rabbits' Christmas Party.” Lovingly prepared for print by a professional graphic artist. This is an ultra-high-resolution file and will print beautifully even at the largest sizes. I have carefully corrected the “haze build up” (the smoke, grease and dust which eventually dulls the orignal artwork) in the manner of an art conservationist (but using digital means and state-of-the-art software) while retaining the charming patina of age (the painting is now well over a century old). I have also carefully removed stray tiny stains or marks which found their way onto the work after it left the artist's hands and fly specks here and there, but I left the artist's original pencil marks and tiny ink dots alone, as they are part of the original charm of the painting.
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