rous and ambitious of earlier woodcutters and a trailblazer in
turning his art resolutely in the direction of polychrome.

To 19th century writers on art, from whom we have inherited the bulk of
standard catalogs, lexicons, and histories-- along with their
judgments-- Jackson's work seemed less a break with tradition than a
corruption of it. His chiaroscuro woodcuts (prints from a succession of
woodblocks composing a single subject in monochrome light and shade)
were invariably compared with those of the 16th century Italians and
were usually found wanting. The exasperated tone of many critics may
have been the result of an uneasy feeling that he was being judged by
the wrong standards. The purpose of this monograph, aside from providing
the first full-length study of Jackson and his prints, is to examine
these standards. The traditions of the woodcut and the color print will
therefore receive more attention than might be expected, but I feel that
such treatment is essential if we are to appreciate Jackson's
contribution, in which technical innovation is a major element.

Short accounts of Jackson have appeared in almost all standard
dictionaries of painters and engravers and in numerous historical
surveys, but these have been based upon meager evidence. A fraction of
his work was usually known and details of his life were, and still are,
sparse. Later writers interpreting the comments of their predecessors
have repeated as fact much that was conjecture. The picture of Jackson
that has come down to us, therefore, is unclear and fragmentary.

If he does not emerge from this study completely accounted for from
birth to death, it has not been because of lack of effort. Biographical
data for his early and late life-- about fifty years in all-- are almost
entirely missing despite years of diligent search. As a man he remains a
shadowy figure. I have traced Jackson's life as far as the available
evidence will permit, quoting from the writings of the artist and his
contemporaries at some length to convey an essential flavor, but I have
refrained from filling in gaps by straining at conjecture.

While details of his life are vague, sufficient information is at hand
to reconstruct his personality clearly enough. After all, Jackson wrote
a book and was quoted at length in another. A contemporary
fellow-practitioner wrote about him with considerable feeling. These and
other sources give a good indication of the artist's characte