Artist: Thomas Bewick (British, 1753–1828), attributed to.
Title: Engravings on Wood — three vignettes: [header] decorative title block with logs, foliage, and bird; [1] deer in a forest glade; [2] Shakespeare memorial bust on a plinth amid foliage with scattered books and objects.
Inscriptions: Numbered "1" and "2" below respective vignettes; title block inscribed "ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD" in white-on-black lettering; verso bears "AU" collector's monogram stamp in Gothic blackletter, repeated three times
Dimensions: Sheet 7 3/4" x 4".
Edition: Artist's proof.
Date: Late XVIII – early XIX C.
Materials and Techniques: Wood engraving on wove paper.
Provenance:
- Monogram AU stamp in ink in Gothic script verso. (Not in Lugt).
- The Estate of George "Yorgo" Demetrakopoulos; professor, assistant director of the Medieval Institute, and assistant to the dean at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, from 1965-2000.
Condition: The signs of aging are appropriate for the time. A detailed condition report is available on demand.
Art Movements, Periods and Schools: British School XVIII C.
Note: Thomas Bewick is widely regarded as the father of the modern wood engraving technique. This artist's proof leaf, bearing three vignettes on a single sheet, is a rare survival of Bewick's workshop production.
Acknowledgement: This entry incorporates text from online sources.