re
used before him only by the 17th-century Chinese; and he combined burin
work with knife cutting.

But Jackson's reputation, in the long perspective, must rest upon his
qualities as an artist. He had great distinction as a colorist but
lacked originality as a designer and was dependent upon others, for the
most part, for basic compositions. As an interpreter of these
compositions, however, he was imaginative and forceful. He did not
follow the example of most copper plate engravers and reproduce subjects
faithfully; his conception of the woodcut as a frank medium precluded
exact rendition. Except, possibly, for his first chiaroscuro, he always
translated freely, with the aim of making good woodcuts rather than
accurate representations of his subjects. Jackson's work after others,
in short, was consciously intended as artful approximation. This
emphasis on the spirit rather than the letter, together with his novel
techniques, often gave his prints a somewhat hybrid character-- an
ambiguous look that might serve to explain the uneasy feelings of many
critics. But his largeness of feeling is unmistakable, and this is what
finally places him among the masters.

The color woodcut is now an important form of printmaking. For this
medium in the Western world, Jackson is the main ancestral figure.

CATALOG

Jackson's chiaroscuros and color woodcuts have been grouped under three
headings. The first and main section includes, besides those of
unquestionable authenticity, prints which can be attributed to Jackson
with some degree of certainty and those actually seen by earlier writers
but which have apparently disappeared. In each case the status of the
print in Jackson's _oeuvre_ has been noted.

The second section lists pieces believed to be by Jackson's workshop.
Prints that might have been done independently by close followers have
been included here because we have no evidence that would permit
distinctions to be drawn.

The last section lists unverified subjects attributed to Jackson in a
number of museums but which have been lost through war or other causes,
and doubtful titles found in Nagler and Le Blanc. In each category the
prints have been listed in chronological order as far as this can be
determined. The sequence of the Venetian set follows Jackson's
description in the _Enquiry_, although the prints themselves are dated
somewhat differently.

One difficulty in cataloging Jackson's work is the preva