Charles Samuel Keene

Charles Keene was known as the “English Daumier” because of his masterly draftsmanship and focus upon social issues. His most significant contributions were to the periodical Punch, for which he executed around 3,000 drawings after 1851. His specialty was the “socials,” rather than political subjects as tackled by his contemporary John Tenniel. These consisted of recordings of small encounters of everyday life, mostly amongst the middle classes of English society. Keene’s lively but solid pen work was greatly admired by his contemporaries, but also challenging to wood engravers who sought to retain the freshness of his marks in reproduction.

This drawing is typical of Keene’s subject matter and technique, showing an elderly upper-class gentleman rebuffing the friendly advances of a well-meaning commoner, as evidenced in the caption “At Buxton; Wm. Blades, from Sheffield (affably to noble lord with the hereditary gout); 'Ope your lordship's better this morning. I can just manage to 'op about a bit.’; Noble Lord (severely) ‘Aw - I was not aware that people of your class were subject to my complaint.