Title
Original woodblock of a horse race attributed to Thomas Bewick.
Coverage
[Newcastle],
Date
ca. 1800.
Subject
Purchased with funds donated by Florence Fearrington through the good offices of Terry Belanger.
Description
In the late 18th century, Thomas Bewick (1753–1828) revived the technique of working the endgrain cut of woodblocks, rather than the side-grain (plank) block, using his own version of the burin more typically used for copper engraving. This technique allowed for a much higher level of detail than was possible with woodcuts. This small block depicting a horse race, possibly cut by Bewick or perhaps by someone in his workshop, exemplifies his small, finely executed vignettes.
Source
From the collection of Rare Book School