Osbert Lancaster, Havoc on the River, 1952

ABOUT THE ARTIST

OSBERT LANCASTER (1908 - 1986)

In 1952 The Randolph Hotel in Oxford commissioned Osbert Lancaster to produce a series of panels illustrating Max Beerbohm's prose fantasy Zuleika Dobson. Beerbohm's tale, which he himself called 'An Oxford Love Story', relates how the young and beautiful Zuleika pays a visit to her grandfather, the Warden of Judas, during eights week. Before long half of Oxford has fallen under her spell and tragedy ensues. Here Zuleika's beauty wreaks havoc on the river as two boats collide and the finest of Oxford's youth plunge into the Thames, all prepared to drown for her: 'From the towing-path -- no more din there now, but great single cries of "Zuleika!" -- leapt figures innumerable through rain to river. The arrested boats of the other crews drifted zigzag hither and thither. The dropped oars rocked and clashed, sank and rebounded, as the men plunged across them into the swirling stream …  The thunder receded; the rain was less vehement: the boats and the oars had drifted against the banks. And always the patient river bore its awful burden towards Iffley.'