Peter Lawrence is one of the UK’s leading wood-engravers, Wood engravings are traditionally small, cut into endgrain boxwood and printed from the relief surface. However, the majority of Lawrence’s prints are engraved on Resingrave, a synthetic material designed especially to replicate the quality of boxwood. This print was produced in 2009 for BOX25, a suite of prints commissioned by Lawrence when he was Chairman of the Society of Wood Engravers, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the re-founding of the Society in 1984. Each artist illustrated a number from 1 to 24; Lawrence illustrated number 25. His print shows the M25 with all the junctions and main roads out from the circular roads around London, and the Thames flowing through. The letters N, S, E and W give orientation. The letter P is for Peter and also Patricia (the artist’s sister) and is placed in Gidea Park, where they grew up. The letter T is for his eldest son Tom who was living in Esher at the time. The J stands for his second son John, who was living in Hackney. The crossed hammers of West Ham Football Club are for Lawrence’s mother’s family from the East End. The arrow is for his father, born on the Isle of Dogs. The cross represents St Paul’s as a land-mark.