The second volume that Clara Tice was commissioned to illustrate for the Pierre Louÿs Society was Woman and Puppet, the English translation of his 1898 Spanish-themed romantic novel La femme et le pantin. Partly autobiographical, Woman and Puppet tells the story of the impressionable young Frenchman André Stevenol, who meets Andaluz beauty Conception ‘Concita’ Perez at the Seville Carnival; they exchange ‘certain looks’ and arrange to meet again. When André shares his experience with his friend Don Mateo, he learns that Mateo has had previous dealings with Concita, and Mateo warns André to stay away from the young women whose puppet he had become.

An original drawing for a de luxe copy of Woman and Puppet

Louÿs had an admiration for strong women who could meet their lovers on equal terms, as did Clara Tice, so text and illustrations are well-matched in this attractive translation. Clara produced nine colour plates for the numbered edition of 1250 copies, together with additional original drawings to accompany a small number of de luxe copies.