The Small Water-Spaniel
Wood-Engraving Print
1790 (first published)
1790 (first published)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
A Water Spaniel with light and dark markings, viewed in profile, looking to the right of the image. Thomas Bewick's monogram (a T and B sharing the same vertical stroke) is in the lower-left corner of the image.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | The Small Water-Spaniel (assigned by artist) |
Materials and techniques | Wood-engraving print on laid paper |
Brief description | 'The Small Water-Spaniel', viewed in profile, looking to the right of the image. Wood-engraving print on paper. Illustration featured in 'A General History of Quadrupeds' (first published 1790). Engraved by Thomas Bewick. Newcastle upon Tyne, England. |
Physical description | A Water Spaniel with light and dark markings, viewed in profile, looking to the right of the image. Thomas Bewick's monogram (a T and B sharing the same vertical stroke) is in the lower-left corner of the image. |
Dimensions |
|
Marks and inscriptions | (Thomas Bewick's monogram (a T and B sharing the same vertical stroke) is in the lower-left corner of the image.) |
Object history | Formerly C.8991, a list showing both new and old numbers in 64/2371 This engraving featured in Thomas Bewick's first major independent publication, A General History of Quadrupeds, first printed and published in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1790. The publication contains illustrations of animals, alongside brief descriptions of their appearance, habits and habitats, accompanied by a number of illustrative vignettes, used mainly as tailpieces. The text accompanying the illustration (in the publication) reads as follows: 'THE SMALL WATER-SPANIEL is similar to the other [The Large Water Spaniel] in form, habits, and disposition; and its capacity for receiving instruction is equally good. With looks of extreme attention and sensibility, it observes the motion of its master, and catches the well-known signal with amazing promptitude. The various tricks which these Dogs are sometimes taught to perform, seem more like the effect of reasoning powers, than of undiscerning instinct.' Taken from: Beilby, Ralph and Bewick, Thomas. A General History of Quadrupeds. Newcastle upon Tyne. Third Edition, 1792. Historical significance: Thomas Bewick was the first engraver to exploit fully the advantages of end-grain wood (the wood is cut across, rather than along, the grain). Once it had been proved that the technique could rival the fine effects of metal engraving, the advantages of wood engraving to the book trade were quickly recognised. Allowing both text and illustration to be printed in one operation, it ousted the intaglio process as the favourite for book illustration and was only superseded at the end of the nineteenth century when methods of photomechanical reproduction were developed. |
Historical context | The English Water Spaniel breed became extinct during the early 20th century. The breed has been also documented in paintings by Henry Bernard Chalon and Ramsay Richard Reinagle. |
Production | Thomas Bewick's A General History of Quadrupeds was first published in 1790. |
Subject depicted | |
Association | |
Associated object | |
Bibliographic reference | Taken from Departmental Circulation Register 1964 |
Collection | |
Accession number | CIRC.563-1964 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
Record created | July 1, 2009 |
Record URL |
Download as: JSON