Elizabeth Persis Esperance Kirmse (1884-1955) was a British artist and illustrator known for her works of cats and dogs.
She was the daughter of Richard and Lea Kirmse, respectively of German and Swiss origin, the proprietors of a private school in Hampshire. She produced oil paintings, works in pastels, and etchings of pets, often as commissions, and illustrated books, postcards, and calendars.
She produced illustrated versions of scenes from Shakespeare using animal characters, including Shakespeare at the Kennels (1934), Shakespeare with the Pets (1935), Shakespeare at the Zoo (1936) and Shakespeare and the Birds (1938). Her illustrations were also used in books by Frances Pitt and E.V. Lucas (including No-Nose at the Show, 1931). Her work was exhibited at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1916.
Her sister, Marguerite Kirmse (1885-1954), was also an artist specialising in etchings of dogs.
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"The Book of Fairy Poetry", illustrated by Warwick Goble, is more than a century old yet continues enthralling readers of all ages with its spellbinding artwork and verses.
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William Orpen's 'To the Unknown British Soldier in France'
There is a fascinating story about this picture that not only highlights the pomposity and arrogance of the politicians of the time of World War I but has also introduced me to the word 'vainglory', which I hadn't heard before but which is no doubt appropriate for some of today's leaders.
