Artwork Page for The Brook

Details / Information for The Brook

The Brook

1829

Edward Calvert

(British, 1799–1883)
Culture
England, 19th century
Medium
wood engraving
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1929.173
Catalogue raisonné
Lister 12c
State
II/II
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Calvert was so influenced by William Blake's wood engravings that The Sheep of His Pasture is directly based on an illustration for The Pastorals of Virgil. Calvert, however, even more than Blake, exploited the ability of wood engraving to achieve the most delicate detail, so astonishing in these miniatures. Calvert's subject matter originated from a vision of the golden age of pastoral innocence and abundance that has both Christian and classical overtones. The women in The Brook resemble figures carved on antique gems, and the tree stumps symbolize the transitory nature of life.
A horizontally oriented print in dense black-inked fine lines depicts three women with light skin tones in a landscape. On the right, one woman bends over a stream, dipping a vessel into the water. In the center, another woman stands with a jar on her shoulder and one in her hand. To the left, a third woman stands by a gnarled tree. A thatched cottage sits on a distant hill.

The Brook

1829

Edward Calvert

(British, 1799–1883)
England, 19th century

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