Jaspa and Me

Working on the illustrations for Mr. Bumps and His Monkey by Walter de la Mare, Dorothy Lathrop engaged the services of a simian model. The story revolves around a monkey named Jasper taken from Africa to London, where he is stolen and forced to perform in a circus. This self-portrait with Jasper, made to accompany Lathrop’s biography on the book’s dust jacket, signifies the close working relationship between artist and model. This print was a gift to de la Mare, in commemoration of their collaboration.