Façade
Woodcut
1914-1915 (printed)
1914-1915 (printed)
Artist/Maker |
Wadsworth (1889-1949) was a member of the Vorticists, a group of mostly London-based artists chiefly active in the period 1913-1917. Their inspiration was Italian Futurism. The Futurists, obsessed with machinery and dynamics, made pictures and sculptures characterised by semi-abstract geometric form. Wadsworth's main printmaking activity was confined largely to the period 1913-1921, in which he made about 50 woodcuts. They are recognisable for their sharp tonal contrasts and dizzying articulation of space, most striking in the black and white images. In the last year of World War One, Wadsworth's design talents were harnessed by the Royal Navy, then in need of dazzle camouflage for their warships - bold diagonal patterns and zigzag bands intended to confuse the enemy.
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Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Façade (assigned by artist) |
Materials and techniques | Woodcut on thin laid paper |
Brief description | Edward Alexander Wadsworth. 'Façade', 1914-15 |
Physical description | abstract composition in black and white |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Production type | Limited edition |
Copy number | 1/205 |
Marks and inscriptions | 1/205 22 x 16 (pencil) |
Summary | Wadsworth (1889-1949) was a member of the Vorticists, a group of mostly London-based artists chiefly active in the period 1913-1917. Their inspiration was Italian Futurism. The Futurists, obsessed with machinery and dynamics, made pictures and sculptures characterised by semi-abstract geometric form. Wadsworth's main printmaking activity was confined largely to the period 1913-1921, in which he made about 50 woodcuts. They are recognisable for their sharp tonal contrasts and dizzying articulation of space, most striking in the black and white images. In the last year of World War One, Wadsworth's design talents were harnessed by the Royal Navy, then in need of dazzle camouflage for their warships - bold diagonal patterns and zigzag bands intended to confuse the enemy. |
Bibliographic reference | Timmers, Margaret (Ed), Impressions of the Twentieth Century: Fine Art Prints from the V&A's Collection. London, V&A Publications, 2001. |
Collection | |
Accession number | E.448-1965 |
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Record created | December 16, 2002 |
Record URL |
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