Adam's THE LIBRARY COLLECTION 26th April 2022

98 113 EDWARD VILLIERS RIPPINGILLE (c. 1790–1859) Beating the Bounds Oil on canvas, 103 x 145cm Signed ‘E.V. Rippingille and dated 1848’ Edward Villiers Rippingille began his career as a portrait artist but soon found that his talents were best utilised in the creation of whimsical genre pieces. Rippingville first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1819 and continued to do so throughout his lifetime, becoming known for capturing community events, such as the one featured here. Beating the bounds is a tradition that can be traced back to the medieval period. At this time, land was divided into parishes and the clergy and church wardens held the responsibility for its upkeep and management. It was up to the Church to ensure that its parishioners knew the local boundary lines and, before maps became commonplace, this had to be kept as a mental record. Such information was vital as it determined where the town’s livestock could be grazed, what land could be tilled and where the local jurisdiction ended. A yearly practice was thus devised in which the community would come together to walk the parish and take note of the dividing lines. Usually taking place during Rogation days (the three days directly before Ascension Thursday) or on Ascension Day itself, the inhabitants would gather alongside the clergy and proceed around the boundaries, blessing the land, singing songs and read- ing homilies. Partaking in the event became a measure of good spirit and those seen as abstaining were thought to be lacking a neighbourly disposition. However, for certain members, the day would not have rendered fond memories. It was the duty of the older generation to instil the knowledge of the boundaries in the younger and a belief that pain enforced memory often led to some less than agreeable methods being used. Young boys were made to carry thin rods of willow or ash and they were charged with beating the boundary markers in order to help make a mental note of where they lay. However, it was not uncommon for the rods to be turned on the boys themselves, with a quick whipping aiding to remind them of specific spots. Some communities chose to utilise the land itself and became more creative. At streams, boys had their heads rudely dunked under the water, they were pushed into patches of stinging nettles and forced to run wildly along walls so as they would fall prey to the menacing bramble patches on either side. Some records even note that at stone markers, the boys may be lifted, turned upside down and bashed against the rock. Although the tradition was banned by Oliver Cromwell, beating the bounds made a resurgence during the Victorian era and scenes such as this would have been an expected sight in the weeks following Easter. True to the nature of genre painting, Rip- pingille expertly captures this important day and pleasantly conveys the varying characters of a local community. Our eyes are assaulted with activity and our minds dart playfully to take in each individual, from the miserly woman who skulks away from the festivities to the boys apprehensively waiting with their rods and the young women eagerly looking on. € 6,000 - 10,000