The Project Gutenberg eBook, Why Bewick Succeeded, by Jacob Kainen

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Title: Why Bewick Succeeded
A Note in the History of Wood Engraving

Author: Jacob Kainen

Release Date: September 7, 2009 [eBook #29928]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

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Contributions from The Museum of History and Technology:

Paper 11

WHY BEWICK SUCCEEDED:

A Note in the History of Wood Engraving

by

JACOB KAINEN

THE CONTEMPORARY VIEW OF BEWICK 186

LOW STATUS OF THE WOODCUT 188

WOODCUT AND WOOD ENGRAVING 189

WOOD ENGRAVING AND THE STEREOTYPE 197

WHY BEWICK SUCCEEDED:

_By Jacob Kainen_

_A Note in the History of Wood Engraving_

_Thomas Bewick has been acclaimed as the pioneer of modern wood
engraving whose genius brought this popular medium to prominence. This
study shows that certain technological developments prepared a path for
Bewick and helped give his work its unique character._

The Author: _Jacob Kainen is curator of graphic arts, Museum of History
and Technology, in the Smithsonian Institution's United States National
Museum._

No other artist has approached Thomas Bewick (1753-1828) as the
chronicler of English rustic life. The little wood engravings which he
turned out in such great number were records of typical scenes and
episodes, but the artist could also give them social and moral
overtones. Such an approach has attracted numerous admirers who have
held him in esteem as an undoubted homespun genius. The fact that he had
no formal training as a wood engraver, and actually never had a lesson
in drawing, made his native inspiration seem all