P for Publican

Category

Library Item

Item no

23661

Title

P for Publican

Description

A short fat man stands holding a long thin pipe in one hand. His other hand is raised in a fist with one thumb used to point a direction. He wears a long red buttoned sleeveless jacket which reaches down to his knees, over a white shirt.
Reproduced by kind permission of (c) Desmond Banks.

Artist / maker

Nicholson, William Newzam Prior

Date

1898

Size

24.5 x 19.5 cm

Type

Wood cut

Location

Art and Design Library

'An Alphabet', a series of woodcut prints, was executed by William Nicholson in 1897 and published in 1898. The first image in the series of alphabet illustrations is in fact, a self portrait of the artist. At the age of 25, Nicholson self-deprecatingly said he 'was an Artist'. Of the series, A and D were the pieces submitted for approval by William Heinemann. Each woodblock was valued at £5, and 6p for each of the impressions which were hand-coloured. P is a representation of Tom Jordan, landlord of the George Inn in Wallingford, a pub Nicholson would often visit en route to his mother's house in Woodstock.
Along with a woodcut of Queen Victoria made in 1897, 'An Alphabet' served to establish Nicholson's public reputation as an artist. He went on, after 1900, to concentrate on portrait and landscape painting, but his work as a printmaker continues to be highly regarded.

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Related images

Related subjects

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Boots

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Pipes

Clothing and dress > Garments > Shirts

Clothing and dress > Garments > Waistcoats

People > Adults > Men

People > Commercial activities > Publicans