Wood engraving, design for a pub, 'The Bridge Inn, Winchelsea', by Michael Renton, 1960-70.

A small commercial print of a wood engraving depicting a pub.

Given by Claire Williams

Claire Williams visited the V&A with her family in October 2017. The Williams family were friends of Michael Renton’s and provided the following information about him:

Claire talked about her father, Dennis Henry Williams, who met Michael Renton (about 1954-55) when Michael served in the RAF and they kept in touch. After his training, Michael worked for a brewery company in London that produced, designed and printed beermats and pub signs after wood engravings. He later moved to Winchelsea and Icklesham living in the Rectory Cottage, Winchelsea, and then the Granary in the early 1970s. Here he got to know some of the pub owners asking them whether he could engrave their pub signs and beer mats.

When doing his wood engraving, Michael would work on several blocks at the same time, which were all at different stages. He also worked on the block freehand. He filled many sketchbooks. Renton was also a stone mason and potter as well as a wood engraver. He worked for Winchester Cathedral as a stone mason, for example, doing restoration work and carving rosettes for vaulting. Claire’s family commissioned a very special piece of stone carving from Michael: the lettering on the gravestone of Philip James Williams which was then painted with gold. This gravestone is in Handsworth Cemetery, Birmingham.

Claire explained how Michael encouraged her and her brother, Robert, in their art. In 1986, Claire and her father were invited to an exhibition in Birmingham Art Gallery to see some of Michael’s work and that of his fellow wood engravers.

Michael died in 2001 in Winchester hospital from cancer. He was an only child.

Note taker: Katharine Martin, Assistant Curator, Prints.

Michael Renton (1934-2001) was, by his own description, “a designer, engraver and lettering craftsman” of modest means but prodigious talent. He set up as an independent wood engraver and signwriter in the remote countryside of East Sussex near Winchelsea after a short time at Harrow Art School and an engraving apprenticeship with S. Slinger Ltd. Here he produced a wealth of works on wood, stone and paper in the style of Eric Gill and Gwen Raverat.

The Bridge Inn, Winchelsea, is typical of a type of commercial wood engraving which Renton undertook for local businesses. He also produced wood engravings for the Folio Society and private press books as well as bookplates and Christmas cards which he designed, engraved and printed himself.

E.683-2017