The Artistic Career of Corky

"The Artistic Career of Corky"
1916 Strand illustration by Alfred Leete
Author	P. G. Wodehouse
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Series	Jeeves
Genre(s)	Comedy
Publisher	Saturday Evening Post
Media type	Print (Magazine)
Publication date	February 1916
Preceded by	"Jeeves Takes Charge"
Followed by	"Jeeves and the Unbidden Guest"

"The Artistic Career of Corky" is a short story by P. G. Wodehouse, and features the young gentleman Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves. The story was published in the Saturday Evening Post in the United States in February 1916, and in The Strand Magazine in the United Kingdom in June 1916, as "Leave it to Jeeves". The story was also included in the 1925 collection Carry On, Jeeves.

The story takes place in New York. The artist Corky, a friend of Bertie's, wants to get approval from his uncle to marry his fiancée Muriel. To help Corky, Jeeves proposes a plan that involves books about American birds.

Bertie is in New York. His friend, Bruce "Corky" Corcoran, a struggling artist, relies on an allowance from his rich uncle Alexander Worple, who runs a jute business. Corky introduces his fiancée, Muriel Singer, to Bertie. Corky is afraid that his disagreeable uncle will not approve of her. At Bertie's bidding, Jeeves suggests that, since Mr. Worple wrote a book about birds called "American Birds", Muriel should write "The Children's Book of American Birds" and dedicate it to Mr. Worple, and then send Worple a letter thanking him for his work and asking to meet him. Muriel does not feel she can write a book, so Jeeves proposes they pay a ghostwriter. To help Corky and Muriel, Bertie pays to have the book published and written. Worple replies to Muriel's letter that he would be happy to meet her.

Bertie leaves town for several months to be with friends in the country. He returns to New York and spots Muriel in a restaurant. She has married Alexander Worple. Shocked, Bertie returns to his flat and tells Jeeves, though Jeeves is not surprised, having known this was a possibility. Bertie, uneasy about seeing Corky after this, avoids Corky, but eventually visits Corky after reading in the paper that Muriel and Worple have had a son. Bertie learns that Corky has been commissioned by his uncle to paint a picture of the baby. The situation is terrible for Corky, but he has no choice.

Later, Corky asks Bertie to see the painting. Bertie finds it ugly. Corky believes he has painted the soul of his model. Worple arrives and is appalled by the painting, calling it an extract from a comic supplement. He ends Corky's allowance, leaving Corky distraught. Jeeves, taking inspiration from Worple's comment, believes that the picture could be the foundation for a series of comedic drawings, and suggests the title "The Adventures of Baby Blobbs". Corky cheerfully agrees. The drawings become successful and Corky gives Jeeves a generous reward. Bertie decides to wear a blue suit with a faint red stripe, but Jeeves wants him to wear a brown suit; Bertie agrees to have it Jeeves's way.