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April

Print
1928 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Eric Ravilious, 'April', wood engraved proof for Lanston Monotype Almanack, 1929

Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • April (assigned by artist)
  • Aries (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
wood engraving
Brief description
Eric Ravilious, 'April', proof for Lanston Monotype Almanack, 1929
Physical description
Eric Ravilious, 'April', wood engraved proof for Lanston Monotype Almanack, 1929
Dimensions
  • Height: 10.1cm
  • Width: 6.5cm
Dimensions taken from Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings Accessions 1972 London: HMSO, 1972.
Marks and inscriptions
Inscribed in pencil 'Aries'
Gallery label
(1995)
Eric Ravilious (1903-1942)
...

Proofs for Lanston Monotype Almanack. 1929
...

d) April
Wood engraving
E.558-1972

...

Eric Ravilious had an unrivalled sense of lively decorative pattern. This partly arose from his mastery of the principle of the reversed out image. It entailed an organisation of design where black silhouettes should appear against a white background and white against a black. This principle was applied even in the small commercial work shown here. In 1935 a contemporary wrote in admiration of the range of his work which included a 'variety of designs for business and miscellaneous purposes (with all the restrictions this work often implies) which we think will rank amongst his finest and most spontaneous achievements...'.
Object history
The published version of these engravings is held in the National Art Library at the V&A, and the V&A holds the original printing blocks.
Association
Associated object
Bibliographic references
  • A Fine Line - Commercial Wood Engraving in Britain, Victoria and Albert Museum, 10 Oct 1994 - 26 Mar 1995
  • 'The engraving shows Aries the ram over Sussex chalk cliffs. The figure holding the staff is clearly not cut in the chalk, but the reason for its presence is unclear'. Jeremy Greenwood, Ravilious Engravings, The Wood Lea Press, Great Britain, 2008. p.81.
Collection
Accession number
E.558-1972

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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