Original c.1930s Wippell design artwork for Anglican clergy vestments, executed in ink and watercolor on artist’s board. A finely rendered Church of England cleric in traditional choir-office dress, produced as a commercial illustration for Wippell’s ecclesiastical outfitting catalogs.
This original artwork to advertise Wippell's line of vestments came out of an auction of items taken directly from Wippell's.
Vestments Depicted
Cassock — long, close-fitting black Anglican cassock, buttoned down the front.
Surplice — full, white cathedral-style surplice with wide gathered sleeves.
Black preaching scarf (tippet) — plain black Anglican tippet worn straight down the front.
This combination—cassock, surplice, and tippet—is the classic English choir-office and preaching attire that Wippell frequently used in its catalog artwork. Pencil annotations, red outline guides, and the original tissue overlay all survive, offering a rare look into Wippell’s design and production workflow.
Size: 16" × 11½"
Medium: ink, graphite, and watercolor wash on Winsor & Newton artist’s board.
Condition
Good overall for working commercial studio art. Board shows expected handling from production use: edge wear, corner loss at lower left, light soiling, scattered marks, and pencil annotations. Tissue overlay is creased and worn but original and complete. Image area remains strong, clean, and well-preserved.
Please review all photos.
Provenance
Removed from a group of original Wippell commercial artworks and design materials sold at auction after being cleared directly from the Wippell workshop.
Codex Giga Rare Books — Fine Antiquarian Books in Religion, Literature, History & Children’s Classics.
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