'The Chillingham Bull'. A bull, viewed in profile, standing in a woodland landscape. Wood-engraving print on laid paper. Engraved by Thomas Bewick. Newcastle upon Tyne, England. 1789.

A Chillingham bull standing in a woodland landscape. The bull is viewed in profile, facing toward the right of the picture, with its head turned slightly to the viewer. In the distance, on the right hand side of the image, two bulls can be seen running amongst the trees. The print has an elaborate, decorative border featuring foliate elements and S-scrolls.

Historical significance: The first engraver to exploit fully the advantages of end-grain wood (the wood is cut across, rather than along, the grain) was Thomas Bewick. 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to be printed in one operation, it ousted the intaglio process as the favourite for book illustration and was only superseded at the end of the nineteenth century when methods of photomechanical reproduction were developed.

This wood-engraving by Thomas Bewick shows an example of the wild cattle of Chillingham Park in Northumberland. They are one of the original herds of emparked wild cattle and still roam over the 300 acres of Chillingham Park. The origin of the breed is believed to go back to ancient times in Britain, possibly descending from the ox. The bull is renowned for its fighting capabilities, and the strongest bull will become 'king' of the herd, siring all the calves born during his tenure. The remarkable survival of the breed is believed to be due to the strength and fittness of the bull.

Object 23539 is an example of this design printed on parchment rather than paper.

CIRC.378-1966