Christmas-tide on the Roaddetails

Christmas-tide on the Road

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There is a log going on in this colour engraving. In the far background is a church spire with a weather-cock on the top. Nearer, some trees, and a horse and cart or wagon just emerging round the corner of a building. That building is not identified but has snow on the roof and icicles hanging down. But what first catches our attention if in the foreground: a coach with two horses is stopped outside an inn, whose sign is a prancing or rampant lion, and in whose open door stands a maid perhaps, a woman with a white apron. A man wearing a top hat and carrying a horse-whip is handing her a small parcel, perhaps a jar with christmas pudding in it, or an oddly-wrapped iPhone.

Atop the carriage, a man or boy in a top hat and coat and gloves is handing down a large basket; at the side hand various birds and rabbits not yet plucked or dressed.

Two boys wearing flat caps tend to the horses under the watchful eye of another man in a top hat and of a small curly-haired dog. Another capped man is handing down a basket; another leads two horses away. Two children stand watching, one with a bunch of flowers, perhaps, behind his back. And in the left foreground a horse-trough for drinking, and two chickens, one drawn mic-peck.

Overall the picture has a wintry colour cast. The stage coach has VR on the side, and the lion and unicorn supporters of the Royal Coat of Arms, suggesting it’s public transit.

The work is not signed and not attributed to an artist or engraver; it was dated Dec 1st 1868 and marked “The Leisure Hour”—the publication here, The Circling Year, is a sort of best-of from that magazine.

christmas, xmas, inns, people, top hats, victorian costumes, wheels, carriages, carts, horses, animals, chickens, icicles, winter, cold, deliveries

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1800 dots per inch