X for Xylographer

Category

Library Item

Item no

23669

Title

X for Xylographer

Description

A craftsman sits at a desk with a sloped surface. He is working on a dark block which is resting on the desk. He wears a dark waistcoat over a white shirt and a purple cap.
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

A xylographer makes woodcuts or wood engravings.
'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.
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 subjects

Clothing and dress > Accessories > Hats

Clothing and dress > Garments > Waistcoats

Furnishings > Furniture > Desks

People > Adults > Men

People > Entertainment and sports > Artists