Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Request to view at the Prints & Drawings Study Room, level C , Case EW, Shelf 109

The Ass

Print
ca. 1807-1830 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

School sheets like this were produced for school children to demonstrate their best handwriting for presentation to their parents, particularly at Christmas, and were popular throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The wood engravings on this school sheet reflect the influence of Thomas Bewick: the ass in particular recalls Bewick's 'Quadrupeds', a work whose animals were frequently copied in this period. It seems that the publishers Arliss and Huntsman produced a series of school sheets with different wood engravings in the borders. These wood engravings would probably have been commissioned originally for their children's books and thereby become part of their stock block collection.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Ass (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Wood engravings with decorative borders and letterpress on paper
Brief description
Anonymous broadsheet, 'The Ass', wood engraved school notesheet with decorative border, published in London by Arliss and Huntsman, British, ca. 1807-1830
Physical description
Wood engraved school notesheet with decorative border.
Dimensions
  • Height: 47cm
  • Width: 38cm
Dimensions taken from Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints, Drawings and Paintings Accession Register for 1994
Marks and inscriptions
Printed and published by Arliss and Huntsman, 87, Bartholomew Close, West Smithfield. (Letterpress)
Gallery label
[Draft?] School sheets were produced for school children to demonstrate their best handwriting for presentation to their parents, particularly at Christmas, and were popular throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.(1994)
Object history
Acquired in connection with the display A Fine Line - Commercial Wood Engraving in Britain, V&A, 10 October 1994 - 26 March 1995.
Production
paper watermarked 1807
Subject depicted
Summary
School sheets like this were produced for school children to demonstrate their best handwriting for presentation to their parents, particularly at Christmas, and were popular throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The wood engravings on this school sheet reflect the influence of Thomas Bewick: the ass in particular recalls Bewick's 'Quadrupeds', a work whose animals were frequently copied in this period. It seems that the publishers Arliss and Huntsman produced a series of school sheets with different wood engravings in the borders. These wood engravings would probably have been commissioned originally for their children's books and thereby become part of their stock block collection.
Bibliographic reference
Victoria and Albert Museum Department of Prints, Drawings and Paintings Accession Register for 1994
Collection
Accession number
E.716-1994

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Record createdNovember 25, 2008
Record URL
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