Original large water-colour illustration of an eighteenth-century scene, attributed to Sullivan, intended for promotional purposes. Rough pencil sketch of cockerel on reverse.

On a piece of board roughly 45 x 30 cm. Foxed and discoloured, with the extremities chipped and worn, with loss and closed tears affecting the illustration's border, which is in gold in the style of the carved decoration of eighteenth-century furniture. The illustration itself, roughly 36 x 25 cm, is clear and undamaged. It features full-length depictions, each around 29 cm high, of two stylish figures: on the left a behatted lady, fan in hand, elegantly attired in eighteenth-century costume of orange compere-fronted gown and full yellow skirt. She is being observed by a stout middle-aged gentleman on the right, attired in black cut-away jacket and breeches with large gilt buttons, a white waistcoat embroidered in gold, white stockings and black buckled shoes, his left arm and hand in expressive pose. In the foreground between the two is a Chippendale chair upholstered in red. As part of the design, in large letters in the top right-hand corner, are the words '& Co's'. The area to the left of this is blank, but it may be the case that the word 'Constable' was to be inserted, with the illustration intended to promote Sullivan's illustrated edition of Goldsmith's 'Vicar of Wakefield', published by the firm in 1914. On the reverse is a large (31 x 20 cm) rough sketch of a cockerel standing on an oval which may have been intended to represent the world. At the foot, in neat ink letters, 'by E J Sullivan', and at the head, in the same hand and damaged, 'E'.