The Life and Works of British Author and Illustrator Beatrix Potter
Many children worldwide, and especially across Britain, have childhood memories of the character Peter Rabbit. Peter Rabbit is writer and illustrator Beatrix Potter’s most well-known creation. In this article, you will learn about the life and works of Beatrix Potter.
About Beatrix Potter 
Helen Beatrix Potter was born in South Kensington, London, on the 28th of July 1866. Her family was well off, as both her parents inherited a considerable amount of wealth from their predecessors. Due to that inheritance, they were able to live a comfortable life in London.
As a child, Beatrix was quite isolated from other children, as she was educated by a governess at home. She was an eager student, interested in many topics in the natural sciences. As a pupil, she was also passionate about languages and literature and had a particular fondness for fairytales, rhymes and riddles. She was an imaginative child with a creative flair and her father encouraged her to pursue her creative interests. She was able to take various art lessons as a child and developed a love for painting and drawing during their family holidays in the Scottish and Lake District countryside. The subjects of her illustrations were mostly elements of the natural world, including animals, fungi, plants and landscapes.
[Beatrix Potter with rabbit image], Source: Wikimedia Commons
To get an idea of Beatrix’s early illustrations, you can see a journal entry below from when Beatrix was in her twenties. The date of the journal entry is the 21st of August 1892:
Source: Wikimedia Commons
The Tale of Peter Rabbit 
When Beatrix was in her mid-thirties, she sent her now well-known children's book ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit’ to several publishers, but it was rejected. She decided to self-publish the picture book and sell it to family and friends, where it was well-received.
Later, in 1902, a publisher, Frederick Warne & Co, agreed to publish just under 10,000 copies. The book sold out quickly, and that marked the beginning of Beatrix’s successful career as a storyteller.
While doing research on this topic, I read that the success of the Peter Rabbit stories could not only be attributed to the illustrations but also to the presence of Edwardian sensibilities and morality in the stories. Especially, the notion that there are dangers in the real (natural) world and that actions have consequences taught children a life lesson.
[Tale of Peter Rabbit Image], Source: Wikimedia Commons
Beatrix’s Illustrations
To get a better idea of Beatrix’s iconic illustrations and watercolour painting style, I have inserted two more images below of her storybook, ‘The Tailor of Gloucester’. In the first image, you can see the cat character Simpkin, and in the second, you can see the mice that appear in the story.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
-
I hope you enjoyed reading this article about one of my favourite illustrators and authors, Beatrix Potter and her tale of Peter Rabbit. If you did enjoy this subject, I’ve got some good news! Namely, in the following article published on this blog, we’ll stay on the topic of children’s literature and delve into the world of English nursery rhymes.
Until next time!
Marieke, OLS Community Manager – English