Featured C.Keene/After C. Keene Pen and Ink

Please can anyone help with this picture?
Visible picture c4” x 7”
Frame 10.5” x 14”
It’s an interesting and slightly odd subject done by a talented hand.
Slightly comic looking at the hare but the man looks nastily intimidating and the woman looks scared to death so I don’t know what to make of it.
It’s signed C Keene which Google tells me is likely Charles Keene but I’m not finding this style of signature, only a monogram and it looks like there may be another signature beside it which is partially obscured.
So possibly after C. Keene rather than by him?
It looks like pen and ink but I’m not even sure if it’s a print, presumably the only way to find out to remove it from the frame which would be a shame as it’s nicely done. No pixels under magnification. Lines around the mount are possibly hand done.
Google lens doesn’t return any useful information.
Many thanks for any help.

 

My other half has just suggested it’s based on Burke and Hare which is why she looks so scared? Is that a wild leap?

 

wow, its next level cool

what an eye you have

 

Here's one with his signature

 

Oh,well done, I didn’t find any!

 

Just lucky although I do always look twice at everything,just in case I miss a gem on first glance!
I also redonate stuff to the charity shop when I’ve got it wrong
It could still be a print though, as you say it’s cool enough to have even as a print.

 

You piece is titled in the lower left-hand corner. "xiddon" is what I read.

Debora

 

The one I found has a handwritten title, so I was wondering if that text on yours could be a title as well. But it looks to be ending on "iddon"/"iddor"/"iddow", and I can't find any words ending on those letters that could be matching the scene.

The K differs a bit (top left) from yours, but I have seen other versions of his signature with other types of Ks.
one I found has a handwritten title, so I was wondering if that text on yours could be a title as well. But it looks to be ending on "iddon"/"iddor"/"iddow", and I can't find any words ending on those letters that could be matching the scene.

The K differs a bit (top left) from yours, but I have seen other versions of his signature with other types of Ks.

 

Here's information about the artist and a tab for "Related Objects" (lots of illustrations) ...
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG33577?id=BIOG33577&page=2#page-top

 

i dont think its a print

 

That would be nice.
Trouble is I tend to hang onto the stuff I like so I’m always poor

 

i think its fantastic on so many levels

 

the old women looks like albert steptoe

 

Someone has framed and mounted that well. Possibly working with a ruling pen which isn’t easy. They might have different ways of doing the watercolour lines on mounting boards now but years ago it was loading up the pen with paint and pull it down against a ruler and hope the paint didn’t spread under the ruler.
Looks good for an original drawing to me.

 

It looks like an original pen and ink drawing to me too. Thanks!

 

The more I look,the more confusing it is. OH has now suggested a poacher but that hare is alive and kicking. He isn’t looking at the woman but she looks terrified. What’s with the rope? Bell ringing?
So many questions…….

There must be a story behind it.

Yay!

Ditto Yay!
Thanks everyone

 

Thankyou for looking for me, I will search the related objects!

 

soooo confusing, shes like oh the man has arrived, im ringing. im ringing

he's like yes the man has arrived, but with a rabbit in his pocket ?

 

10 minutes before she was gossiping to the chambermaid

 

To me,and this is just a wild guess-the woman may be a witch,the hare a familiar,the male may be a demon.
-or it could just be a fable.
It def looks like a study for a more finished illustration-is that the sketch of a very weird nose/moustache in profile in the upper rt hand corner ?