Wednesday’s Wood engraver …

I haven’t yet  spoken about Gwen Raverat (1885 – 1957) and her work;  but I will soon. Just to say, she was not taught to engrave at art school she was it seems self taught.  Raverat  began wood engraving after being at the Slade School for a year where she studied painting. She was inspired by Bewick;  at the time there was no one at the Slade who had any interest in the craft.  However she had the luck to obtain instruction from her cousin, Eleanor Monsell  (Mrs Bernard Darwin) who had begun to cut and engrave wood blocks as early as 1898 but had to give up due to pressure of other work.  I know nothing more  about Eleanor Monsell except that she did illustrate her husband’s books for children. I am looking out for more of her work.

But I love this little engraving called the Bath …