Lady Mouse in Mob Cap — Beatrix Potter (The Tailor of Gloucester)

A very fashionable little mouse

Wrapped in a frilled, flower-sprigged gown and crowned with an enormous mob cap tied with a pink and blue ribbon, a lady mouse sits among folds of green embroidered silk and studies her reflection in a tiny hand mirror. From the shadows behind her, another mouse peeks out to admire the effect. The Tailor of Gloucester takes place in the 18th century, in the days of swords, periwigs and flowered waistcoats, and Beatrix Potter dressed her mice in the height of Georgian fashion.

Potter's love of fine fabrics

To paint the silks, lace and embroideries of her story, Potter studied 18th-century costumes at the South Kensington Museum, today the Victoria and Albert Museum. Every ruffle and every stitch of this picture shows that patient observation. The original watercolour, painted around 1902 for the book published by Frederick Warne in 1903, is held at Tate in London.

Why it works so well on a wall

Sage greens, soft pinks and creamy whites make this print a delight in a dressing room, a bedroom or a little girl's room. It is a lovely gift for anyone who loves fashion, vintage textiles, embroidery or sewing, and a perfect Christmas present for Beatrix Potter lovers.

• Artist: Beatrix Potter (1866–1943)
• Work: Illustration for The Tailor of Gloucester (Frederick Warne, 1903)
• Date: c. 1902
• Medium: Ink, watercolour and gouache on paper
• Collection: Tate, London
• Design: Wallango edition, ivory background with museum-style caption

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