Gwen Raverat, to quote a cousin, ‘maintained with characteristic irrational ferocity that her art had never been influenced by anybody, but had simply occurred’. While this is no more entirely true than it is for any artist (in her case one thinks of Thomas Bewick and August Lepere in particular), it is the case that her wood engravings are inimitably her own. No-one else at the Slade, which she attended between 1908-1910, was making such things. ‘It is very shocking’ she wrote to the artist who had lent her the tools with which to start ‘but I really care for nothing but woodcuts now’. This little group of wood engravings has been chosen to show how she was developing between 1909 and 1920. That year she became a founder member of the Society of Wood Engravers, at whose annual exhibitions she showed 122 wood engravings over the next twenty years. The Society is now celebrating its Centenary with a wonderful exhibition (and catalogue) at the Ashmolean, arranged by the wood-engraver Anne Desmet.
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RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Knight of the Burning Pestle’ (SN1) Wood engraving. 1909. Signed and inscribed. From an edition of 25. ‘The Knight of the Burning Pestle’ is an early 17th century satire on chivalric love. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 103x154 mm £500.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Fair Annie’: Child Ballad no.62. (SN3) Wood engraving. 1909. Signed. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 104x92 mm £375.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Windy Day’ (SN4) Wood engraving. 1909. Proof printed by the artist. An edition of 35 was printed. Tailpiece to illustrate the ballad ‘Clerk Saunders’. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 40x84 mm. £225.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Marsh / Bookplate for Margaret Darwin’ (SN6, state II) Wood engraving. 1909. Signed. Printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 62x102 mm £400.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Nightmare /Cauchmar/Flight’ (SN10) Wood engraving. 1909. Proof printed by the artist. Printed in an edition of 40. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 102x65 mm £400.
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Sir Patrick Spens – Ballad’: Child Ballad no.58. (SN11) Wood engraving. 1909. Signed. Illustration to a ballad. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 82x104 mm £400.
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Travellers’ (SN16) Wood engraving. 1909. Signed and inscribed. Printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 80x102 mm £375.
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Quarrel of Lord Thomas and Fair Annet’: Child Ballad no.73 (SN20) Wood engraving. 1909. Signed and inscribed. To illustrate a ballad. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 78x102 mm £475.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘May Margaret’s Return': Clerk Saunders, Child Ballad no.73 (SN22) Wood engraving. 1910. Proof. Printed in an edition of 40. To illustrate the ballad ‘Clerk Saunders’. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 90x63 mm £225.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Sir Thomas Browne No.1’. (SN23) Wood engraving. 1910. Signed and inscribed Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 92x105 mm. £275.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Sir Thomas Browne No.2 / Death and the Philosopher’ (SN24) Wood engraving. 1910. Rare proof of State 2. Printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 92x105 mm £275.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘May Morning, 1’ (SN28, state II) Wood engraving. 1910. Signed. Printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 36x56 mm £375.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Anthony and Cleopatra’ (SN30) Wood engraving. 1910. Signed. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 67x102 mm £475.
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Palmer’. ‘The Maid and the Palmer’, Child Ballad no.21 (SN31) Wood engraving. 1910. Signed. To illustrate a ballad. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 75x100 mm £375.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘King Lear, Kent and Cordelia’ (SN35) Wood engraving. 1911. Proof printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 102x78 mm £375.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘A Dream’ (SN36) Wood engraving. 1911. Proof printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 84x33 mm. £275.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Creation of Light’ (SN38) Wood engraving. 1912. Drawn by Jacques Raverat and cut by Gwen Raverat. 1912. Proof printed by the artist. Printed in an edition of 100. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 61x103 mm £375.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Pieta’ (SN40) Wood engraving. 1912. Drawn by Jacques Raverat ad cut by Gwen Raverat. Signed. Printed in an edition of 60. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 102x152 mm. £475.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Portrait of Georges Raverat’ (SN42) Wood engraving. 1912. Proof printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. Georges Raverat was the father of the artist’s husband, Jacques Raverat. 110x86 mm £475.
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Wood’ (SN43) Wood engraving. 1912. Signed, inscribed and price ‘£1.1.0’. Printed in an edition of 60. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 63x102 mm £375.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Storm’ (SN44) Wood engraving. 1912. Signed and inscribed. Printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 102x67 mm. £550.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Visitation’ (SN45, state I) Wood engraving. 1912. Signed and inscribed. Printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 102x77 mm £375.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Sky’ (SN48) Wood engraving. 1913. Proof printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 50x76 mm £375.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Bookplate for Eleanor (Lady Robert) Cecil’ (SN51) Wood engraving. 1913. Proof print by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 73x54 mm £450.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Prodigal Son’ (SN 58) Wood engraving. 1914. Drawn by Jacques Raverat and cut by Gwen Raverat. Signed, inscribed and priced ‘£1.1.0’. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 69x61mm £375.
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Mountains’ (SN60) Wood engraving. 1915. Drawn by Jacques Raverat and cut by Gwen Raverat. Proof printed by the artist. To illustrate a poem by F.C.Cornford. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 55x77 mm £400.
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Little Poplars’ (SN63) Wood engraving. 1915. Proof printed by the artist. To illustrate a poem by F.C.Cornford. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 39x65 mm. £375.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘William Erasmus Darwin’ (SN69) Wood engraving. 1915. Proof. Printed in an edition of 20. William Erasmus Darwin (1839-1914), eldest son of Charles Darwin and uncle of the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 129x104 mm £775.
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Edge of the Wood No.1’ (SN70) Wood engraving. 1915. Proof printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 51x56 mm. £375.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Nativity’ (SN76) Wood engraving. 1916. Signed and inscribed. Printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 78x78 mm £400.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Winter Morning’ (SN77) Wood engraving. 1916. Signed, priced ‘10/6’ and inscribed . Printed in an edition of 70. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 31x63 mm. £275.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘L’Etang’ (‘Elms by a Pond’) (SN.78) Wood engraving. 1917. Signed and inscribed. Printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 102x129 mm £575.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Lost Traveller’ SN 82) Wood engraver. 1919. Proof printed by the artist. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 52x101 mm. £375.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Sheep’ (SN83) Wood engraving. 1919. Signed and inscribed. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 63x94 mm £375.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Sheep by a river’ (SN84) Wood engraving. 1919. Proof printed by the artist. Printed as a Christmas Cad for Geoffrey and Margaret Keynes. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 624x103 mm £400.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Houses’ (SN85, block 2) Wood engraving. 1919.Signed. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 41x68 mm £225.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Farm Pond’ (SN87) Wood engraving. 1919. Proof printed by the artist. Printed in an edition of 60. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 70x103 mm £400.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘Primrose Wood’ (SN88) Wood engraving. 1919. Signed. Printed in and edition of 60. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 64x103 mm £375.●
RAVERAT Gwen S.W.E. (1885-1957) ‘The Duckpond’ (SN96) Wood engraving. 1920. Proof printed by the artist. Printed in an edition of 60. Provenance: An album of Proofs compiled by the artist and given to a daughter, and by descent. 113x102 mm £400.●
