Follow The White Rabbit

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The White Rabbit (ink on paper; Oct. 2019)

“Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!” 

Sounds familiar? 😉

These are the famous first words by the White Rabbit, a fictional character in Lewis Carroll‘s book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

He appears at the very beginning of the book, in chapter one, wearing a waistcoat, and as illustrated here, always consulting his pocket watch.

(I don’t know about you but I always try to be on time. I think it’s only polite and I don’t like waiting for someone myself either. But then Germans are generally known for the punctuality, so this might not surprise you. 😉 )

I made this little drawing for Inktober 2019, an international challenge that I already talked about here.

It’s been inspired by the drawing of the English illustrator John Tenniel whose fame, despite the thousands of political cartoons and hundreds of illustrative works attributed to him, stems from his illustrations for Lewis Carroll’s (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson for those in the know) ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ (1865) and ‘Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There’ (1871).

His work and style perfectly combined both fantasy and reality.
An ultimate tribute came to him as he was knighted for his public services in 1893 by Queen Victoria.
It was the first such honour ever bestowed on an illustrator.

And of course, there are dozens, if not hundreds of references to Alice and the White Rabbit in literature, film and music – actually too numerous to count them all here, but there’s one that came to my mind first:

Remember Neo from The Matrix (1999 – OMG! I can’t believe it’s been 20 years(!) that I watched this film in the cinema!!) being told to follow the white rabbit at the beginning of the film? I thought that was so cool to make a reference to this book in a Sci-Fi movie! 😀

I think I would have loved the movie anyway – and now that I think about it, it’s high time I watch it again! – but this reference? Well, it made my mind up pretty fast. 😉

And thinking of the movie, I can’t help but remember that awesome soundtrack. So here’s in addition to Tracy’s Friday Song post “How Deep?” the following song:

 

 

 

And in answer to Tracy’s question: I’d say you gotta follow the rabbit all the way down. 😉

 

Published by Sarah

Artist & Illustrator

57 thoughts on “Follow The White Rabbit”

  3. Pingback: Inktober 2019 – Wrap Up | Art Expedition

  4. Great drawing Sarah, and it does remind me of your story Count Dracula. I hope you will get it published one day as it is a really nice and fun story. I enjoyed it a lot. I need to watch The Matrix again, especially the first film. The soundtrack — AWESOME!

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    1. Thanks so much, my friend! 😀 I too hope to get it published one day, but first I need to finish writing the story! LOL! 😀
      Really need to rewatch The Matrix again too, Keanu Reeves was, and still is, fabulous eye candy. 😉

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  8. This is wonderful, Sarah! What a great drawing of the White Rabbit!! How have I missed your Inktober drawings and Alice stories???? I need to go on your website on it’s own, not just in my “Following” feed. Though I must say that I have been caught up in lots of other things, of late, and have not spent as much time following my favorite blogs as I would like. 💕

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    1. Thanks so much, Hannah!! 😀 Don’t worry, I know the feeling only too well – not enough time for all the lovely blogs out there! I suffer from chronic bad conscience because of that! At least I started working on a new drawing this weekend, which always makes me feel better. 😉 Have a wonderful week ahead! ❤

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  10. He is the perfect White Rabbit, Sarah. I love your drawings as they never disappoint. Being half German and half Army, I was never late for anything. I’m the one that comes too early and has to sit in my car and wait for the right time to knock on the door or pace the front of an office building because it’s too early for my appointment. I despise waiting for people, especially those that are chronically late. It’s narcissistic behavior. That will end a friendship.

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    1. Thank you very much, Marlene!
      I’m just the same!! Always rather too early and having to wait for my appointments. 😀 But since I know a lot of Germans who are never on time I don’t think it’s genetic. 😉 So you have to blame the Army part in your case. 😉

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    1. Thanks so much, Ann! Oh, I didn’t know that you are part German! But I don’t think it explains your belief in being on time – I know lots of Germans who are always late. 😉

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  14. You’re a marvelous illustrator too, Sarah. I love the drawing of the white rabbit. 🙂 I have an old Alice in Wonderland book with Tenniel illustrations (not an original of course) but I remember studying those pictures as a child when my mother read to me and my brothers at bedtime. 🙂 Happy Weekend, my friend.

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    1. Thank you so much, Diana! And how wonderful that you have an Alice book with the original illustrations, most people only seem to know Alice from Disney – which is of course lovely too, but a bit different. I too remember well looking and studying pictures when being read a story by my mum or grandma, it was magic!
      Wish you a wonderful new week ahead! ❤

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  15. Hi Sarah, that is a very debonair, if harried looking, rabbit you have drawn. So well done. When I’m back home tomorrow, I am going to enjoy listening to that song/tune. I couldn’t resist listening to the intro but I have to conserve my internet use. Is it a charged up take on Elgar’s Enigma Variations?

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    1. Yes, it is!! 😄 And I think you’ll enjoy listening to this when time and internet allow. 😊
      And thank you! He’s quite dashing with that outfit, isn’t he? Really love Victorian illustrations like this one. 😄

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  17. I, too, remember that reference in the Matrix vividly. And how it seemed as if white rabbits were popular again in American culture afterward.

    In Thailand, punctuality is not seen as a big deal AT ALL. So that was a big shock for me as a teacher, and it’s something that I’ve gotten used to, but still hate. One of my pet peeves is running late, so being on time and early is important to me.

    Your drawing is a very excellent likeness!

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    1. Thank you so much, Lani! 🙏💕
      I always thought that punctuality wasn’t my thing, but then I made a couple of French friends and realized that it actually is – especially when they keep you waiting for about an hour! 😂

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      2. I once waited half an hour for a date – and when he finally did show up, I left him standing there and went home. 😀 That of course, was in pre-mobile-phones times. 😉

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    1. Hehe! 😉 I have that happen too sometimes, Roberta, but luckily whoever was going to meet me was late too so I could pretend that I was on time. 😉 Thanks for stopping by and Happy Weekend!

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    1. Aww – thank you so much, Lisa!! 💗 And me too! Rabbits are sooo adorable – who could resist their little twitchy noses, long ears and lovely eyes? 😄 Have a Happy weekend!💕

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  21. Thank you for you for your glorious article today, and the wondrous song… you put a pause into me, from watching/listening to Leonard Cohen’s, music/videos….. (It’s Leonard Cohen’s anniversary week…), and yes, my curiosity tells me to follow the white rabbit all the way down…….. and this is Leonard Cohen’s latest release, a vivid and stunning video to one of his brilliant poems “Happens to The Heart”

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    1. Thank you, Chris! My watch stopped last Wednesday and I think I made the same face when the kids appeared to class with me thinking I still had half an hour left for preparations!😂

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  23. I love your drawing (actually I loved all your inktober drawings), and the Alice stories.

    I may be the only person who has never seen any of the Matrix films — and I wasn’t sure why. But when you said the release date I realised I was busy wrangling a toddler and struggling with post-natal depression. 1998-2000 are my lost years in many ways. I wonder if it would be worth starting from scratch and watching them now? What do you think?

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    1. Thanks so much, Su! 🙏💕
      And yes, I think they’re definitely worth watching now – the first one was the best (it’s always like that with trilogies, isn’t it?) but one can’t help to follow the rabbit through all 3 of them. 😉 And then of course there’s Keanu Reeves to consider – it’s always worth watching him! 😉

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