{"product_id":"play-time-by-john-lawson","title":"\"Play-time\" by C. G. Hardie","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Play-time\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eby \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJohn Lawson\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1902\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChromolithograph\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis antique book plate features a chromolithographic illustration paired with an instructional moral verse, titled \"Play-time,\" designed by the artist \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eC. G. Hardie\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (signed in the lower right margin) and published in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1902\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The visual composition captures a scene of domestic leisure within an upper-class interior, featuring an elegant young woman in a pink off-the-shoulder gown seated on a classical neoclassical accent chair. She gazes down toward a young blonde girl in a white smock with a prominent pink sash, who is sitting on the floor alongside a large, intricately detailed blue-and-white porcelain floor vase. In the foreground, a playful black kitten unravels a ball of red yarn, adding a layer of animated warmth to the tableau. The accompanying typography frames a classic proverb signed by the initials \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eC.B.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, which outlines the famous moral message: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Work when you work, \/ Play when you play; \/ That's the best motto, \/ For every day.\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis plate was officially published in the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1902\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e collection titled \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMother Goose Jingles\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, a prominent children's book produced by the notable fine-art publisher \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.abebooks.com\/Mother-Goose-Jingles-Ernest-Nister-London\/16150917943\/bd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eErnest Nister\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cspan\u003e in London (and co-distributed by E.P. Dutton in New York). C. G. Hardie was an active illustrator during this golden age of children's literature, known for rendering highly refined domestic scenes that captured idealized family structures, affluent material culture, and gentle interactions with domestic animals. This specific piece holds considerable historical and aesthetic significance because it perfectly encapsulates how late-Victorian and Edwardian society blended artistic beauty with overt didacticism; the print uses a sentimental, luxurious aesthetic to teach young readers core contemporary values of time management, diligence, and structured behavior. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eH 12” x 10” W\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition: Toned with age\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ANTONIO RAIMO GALLERY","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53698891743511,"sku":"PR0173-17","price":50.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0668\/3607\/0679\/files\/PR0173-17.2.jpg?v=1783952062","url":"https:\/\/antonioraimogallery.com\/products\/play-time-by-john-lawson","provider":"ANTONIO RAIMO GALLERY","version":"1.0","type":"link"}