"As I Was Going Up Primrose Hill," by Maud Humphrey

"As I Was Going Up Primrose Hill," by Maud Humphrey

c. 1891

Chromolithograph

This charming color illustration by Maud Humphrey is titled "As I Was Going Up Primrose Hill" and serves as an antique book plate from her celebrated 1891 nursery rhyme series. The focal point of the artwork is a young girl with brown hair captured mid-motion as she pulls out the sides of her long yellow gown to drop a polite curtsy. She wears a large white bonnet heavily trimmed with yellow flowers and a pale blue ribbon bow, her downcast gaze matching the demure action described in the verse. Positioned in the lower-left corner, the four-line rhyme features a decorative pink initial letter, while a single yellow primrose flower tied with a flowing green silk ribbon adorns the bottom right. Humphrey's distinct monogram signature is visible just beneath the hem of the girl's dress, accenting a minimalist layout defined by delicate pen lines and soft watercolor washes.

The piece is situated within the late-Victorian and early-Edwardian eras of American commercial illustration, a period marked by a surging demand for sentimental, idealized depictions of childhood. Maud Humphrey (1865–1940) was a leading and highly successful commercial artist of this generation, renowned for her watercolor illustrations in books, calendars, and greeting cards, as well as being the mother of legendary actor Humphrey Bogart. Her work was highly significant because she was one of the highest-paid female illustrators of her time, helping to define the visual style of children's literature at the turn of the century. Original antique printings of Humphrey's nursery rhyme plates remain highly coveted artifacts among collectors of vintage children's books, Victorian ephemera, and late 19th-century graphic design.

Dimensions: H 10 ½” x 8 ⅜” W

Condition: Toned with age