Grip and his family

Grip and his family

This artwork was created to accompany Dickens and his wife Catherine on their trip to America in 1842. Depicting their four young children, who couldn’t travel with them, the image also shows Dickens’s beloved pet raven Grip, who he missed greatly on his trip. Grip wasn’t the family’s only pet; in the background of the image you can see a cage of other birds hung outside for fresh air.

The Children of Charles Dickens and Grip the raven by Daniel Maclise, Pencil and wash drawing, 1841. DH743.

Purchased with support from the Art Fund.