Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case GG, Shelf 59, Box B

'Neath the Congo Moon

Print
ca. 1935 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This print is part of a collection of proofs of woodcut and linocuts by Haydn Mackey which represents a varied range of the artists work including magazine and music sheet covers, posters and fine prints. Haydn Reynolds Mackey (1883-1979) was a book illustrator and printmaker whose print work consisted of strongly coloured linocuts and woodcuts. Contrary to their appearance the images were hand-coloured. To achieve the appearance of coloured printing Mackay used an interesting technique, hand colouring the image in opaque oil paint on the reverse of the transparent tracing paper on which the image was printed. He then applied the proof to an oatmeal backing paper with the painted side down. Mackay’s prints were never published on a large scale.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Title'Neath the Congo Moon (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Colour lithograph
Brief description
Lithograph printed from a linocut by Haydn Mackey. Cover to ballad-sheet ''Neath the Congo Moon', published by Courtnay Ltd. London; British, 1930s.
Physical description
Image of a woman's head and neck, wearing a shell? necklace, against a background of palm trees silhouetted in by a large moon. Printed in purple and black and white. An advert in black and white on the back include four other song-sheets. Folded once vertically to form a four page booklet. The song and music are inside the leaflet.
Dimensions
  • Sheet height: 30.4cm (Note: folded to)
  • Sheet width: 24.3cm (Note: folded to)
Style
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'NEATH THE / CONGO MOON (Top)
  • Courtnay Ltd / London (Lower left)
  • PRICE / 6d (Lower right)
  • FOXTROT / BALLAD / BY / JACK COURTNAY (Right side)
Subjects depicted
Summary
This print is part of a collection of proofs of woodcut and linocuts by Haydn Mackey which represents a varied range of the artists work including magazine and music sheet covers, posters and fine prints. Haydn Reynolds Mackey (1883-1979) was a book illustrator and printmaker whose print work consisted of strongly coloured linocuts and woodcuts. Contrary to their appearance the images were hand-coloured. To achieve the appearance of coloured printing Mackay used an interesting technique, hand colouring the image in opaque oil paint on the reverse of the transparent tracing paper on which the image was printed. He then applied the proof to an oatmeal backing paper with the painted side down. Mackay’s prints were never published on a large scale.
Collection
Accession number
E.181-2014

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

Record createdAugust 19, 2013
Record URL
Download as: JSON