Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case EW, Shelf 150, Box A

Boy Birdnesting

Print
1927 (printed)
Artist/Maker

Eric Ravilious (1903-1942) was already well known as a watercolourist, mural painter, designer and printmaker before his untimely death, and it was through wood-engraving that he first became recognised as an artist. He studied under Paul Nash but also found inspiration in earlier practitioners, including Thomas Bewick (1753-1828) and 15th-century German and Flemish masters. This particular image is an alternative version of a plate illustrating April in The Twelve Moneths (sic) commissioned by Robert Gibbings for the Golden Cockerel Press. As it was not for the book, Ravilious enlarged the plate and made small variations to the composition. His strong sense of pattern and design made him one of the most successful and best-loved illustrators of his generation.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleBoy Birdnesting (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Wood engraving on paper
Brief description
Print, 'Boy Birdnesting', by Eric Ravilious
Physical description
print on paper
Dimensions
  • Printed surface height: 8.8cm
  • Printed surface width: 13.2cm
  • Sheet height: 18.6cm
  • Sheet width: 25cm
Style
Production typeLimited edition
Marks and inscriptions
  • E. Ravilious (signature in pencil)
  • title, price and Eric Ravilious 46 Charleston Road, Eastbourne (Maker's identification; English; on the back.)
Subjects depicted
Summary
Eric Ravilious (1903-1942) was already well known as a watercolourist, mural painter, designer and printmaker before his untimely death, and it was through wood-engraving that he first became recognised as an artist. He studied under Paul Nash but also found inspiration in earlier practitioners, including Thomas Bewick (1753-1828) and 15th-century German and Flemish masters. This particular image is an alternative version of a plate illustrating April in The Twelve Moneths (sic) commissioned by Robert Gibbings for the Golden Cockerel Press. As it was not for the book, Ravilious enlarged the plate and made small variations to the composition. His strong sense of pattern and design made him one of the most successful and best-loved illustrators of his generation.
Bibliographic references
  • Timmers, Margaret (ed), Impressions of the Twentieth Century: Fine Art Prints from the V&A's Collection, London, V&A Publications, 2001
  • Jeremy Greenwood, Ravilious Engravings, The Wood Lea Press, Great Britain, 2008, p.53
Collection
Accession number
E.582-1972

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Record createdDecember 12, 2002
Record URL
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