The Charming World of Beatrix Potter
In one of Beatrix Potter’s watercolors for The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Peter huddles against a door in a wall in Mr. McGregor’s garden. With delicate strokes, Potter paints one of Peter’s small feet covering the other. She positions the feet just as a rabbit would in that situation. A little tear rolls down his cheek, as he asks an old mouse the way to the gate. He has eaten some of the farmer’s vegetables and now must escape to the woodland. However, the mouse has such a big piece of pea in her mouth, she cannot speak and help him.
It is these wonderfully exact details that make one of the most well-known and loved stories, and Potter one of the best-selling and best-loved children’s authors in the world. It is also one of the reasons the figurines, sketches, and books of the characters are collectible.