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An Illustrator's Response to a Painting by Adolphe Valette

Horse and Cab in a misty city landscape.  The horse has a nosebag on and there are many people on the pavement walking by or standing.
'Old Cab at All Saints' by Adolphe Valette

Manchester Art Gallery invited the acclaimed children's author and illustrator Tony Ross to respond to this 1910 painting called Old Cab at All Saints, Manchester by Adolphe Valette. He produced the drawing below which is a witty comment on the original.

Illustration by Tony Ross of a boy pulling a trailer with a girl and a cat
Tony Ross' response to 'Old Cab at All Saints'


Adolphe Valette was a French artist who lived in and painted Manchester in the early 20th Century. He is famous for his indistinct, impressionist pictures of the city, and for being one of L S Lowry's teachers. The All Saints Gardens still exist, although the church was destroyed during the Second World War.

The 'Teachers' notes' section of this learning story suggests key questions about the original and an imaginative range of cross-curricular activities to support teachers and pupils in engaging with art in a lively, interesting way. Many of the activities included could also be used with a range of other paintings.


Download a PDF packed with artworks and activity ideas for this and several other famous paintings in Manchester's collection.