Bewick, John

About the artist

Name

Bewick, John

Biography

John Bewick was born in Northumberland in March 1760. His older brother, Thomas Bewick, was a famous wood engraver, but John earned a solid artistic reputation himself. Initially, John was apprenticed to Thomas, and served him from 1777 to 1782. Following this apprenticeship, John travelled to London and made a career as an engraver of wood and illustrator of books, especially children's books; he illustrated works throughout the 1780s and 90s. In 1789, John Bewick completed his Dance of Death series; Central Library has Bewick's work in its Dance of Death Collection. In 1795 John Bewick contracted and was killed by a pulmonary disease (probably tuberculosis); he was just thirty-five years old.

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