In my previous post interviewing David Selwyn on his new book Jane Austen and Children [book review will be posted tomororw], I commented on discovering how many children there actually are in Austen’s novels, and how easy they are to miss.  So I started thinking about Austen’s works as published through the years accompanied by the various illustrators.  Here are several selections by the Brocks and Hugh Thomson, showing that in each novel there is at least one illustration with children as the subject ~ and how delightful they are!

Northanger Abbey ~ C.E. Brock ~ Catherine at the piano ~ “At eight years old she began…[Vol. I, Ch. I]

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Sense and Sensibility~  C.E. Brock – “ The time may come when Harry will regret that so large a sum was parted with”  [Vol.I, Ch. II]

 

Sense and Sensbility ~ C.E. Brock ~ “Why was he to ruin himself and their poor little Harry?”  [Vol. I, Ch. II]

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Pride and Prejudice ~  C.E. Brock  ~ “On the stairs were a troop of little boys and girls”  [Vol. II, Ch. IV]

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Mansfield Park ~ C.E. Brock ~  Fanny on arriving in Mansfield Park ~ ” In vain were the well-meant condescensions of Sir Thomas”  [Vol. I, Ch. II]

and the same scene from H.M. Brock:

 

 Mansfield Park ~ C.E. Brock ~ “The kind pains you took to…persuade me out of my fears”  [Vol. I, Ch. III]

Mansfield Park ~ Hugh Thomson ~ “Mrs. Price … only discomposed if she saw Rebecca pass by with a flower in her hat.” [Ch.  42]

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Emma  ~ Hugh Thomson ~ “With a slice of wedding cake” [Vol. I, Ch. II]

Emma  ~ Hugh Thomson “Tosses them up to the ceiling” [Vol. I, Ch. IX]

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 Persuasion ~ C.E. Brock ~  Their Grandmamma…humours and indulges them” [Vol. I, Ch.VI]

Persuasion ~ C. E. Brock ~ ‘Brought Home in consequence of a bad fall…’ [Vol. i, Ch. VII]

Persuasion ~ C.E. Brock ‘ In another moment…someone was taking him from her” [Vol. I, Ch. IX]

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Sources:  all Brock illustrations are from Mollands; the Hugh Thomson illustrations are from Solitary Elegance. and the Thomson illus of Mrs. Price and children is from Pemberley.com