Title: Winter
- Title of artwork:
- Winter
- Artist:
- Shannon, Charles H.
- Materials:
- Paper (fiber material), Ink
- Techniques:
- Wood engraving, Three colour process
- Engraver:
- Shannon, Charles H.
- Title of Publication:
- The dial
- Publisher:
- L. Hacon and C. Ricketts
- Publication place:
- London
- Publication date:
- 1898
- Curator Comment:
- The Vale Press, founded by Charles Ricketts and Charles H. Shannon published five issues of the art publication 'The Dial' between 1889 and 1897. Following the Arts and Crafts ethos of William Morris at the Kelmscott Press, the illustrations were taken from hand-cut wood blocks or, as with this example, from lithographic stones drawn on directly by the artist. All were printed on hand-made paper. Shannon was one of the leading exponents in Britain of lithography as an artistic medium.
- Note on artwork:
- This stark black and white image of figures of gathering sticks in preparation for winter was engraved in wood by the artist. The image presents anonymous figures in a composition of carefully balanced positive and negative areas and fine linear elements. Both Charles Haslewood Shannon and his partner Charles Ricketts believed it was necessary for artists /illustrators to cut their own blocks, to explore printmaking as an original means of expression. Around the same time Shannon produced a lithographed version of the design.
- References:
- ONDB online and Grove Art online
