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John Buckland Wright (1897-1954), The Virgin and the Unicorn (large version), wood engraving in colors, 1947, the original block and a proof, the proof titled, signed and dated lower margin. Reference: The Engravings of John Buckland Wright, edited and with an introduction by Christopher Buckland Wright, L 142. 6 1/16 x 4 1/16 inches, framed.
A fine impression of this great rarity, one of the three artist’s proofs (there was no edition), together with the block.
There was an earlier small version (Ld 155), which was rejected. The background on this print is described in Buckland Wright as follows: “Experimental prints using water or oil based inks, 3 artist’s proofs. Colour block printed in the same manner aqs for those in Andre Derain’s Pantagruel. The colours in the print are similar. JBW wold have been informed of the details for printing from his friend the printer Lacouriere who directed the printing for Pantagruel. This colour block and prints were prepared for the Arts Council (Great Britain).”
In the 1930′s, 1940′s and early 1950′s three artists did a great deal to launch British engraving into the exciting waters of contemporary European art: the New Zealander John Buckland Wright and two Englishmen William Hayter and Anthony Gross. They all had French attachments and were quite independent of the influences of earlier and highly successful schools of British engraving. Buckland Wright helped Hayter to found his famous Atelier 17 in Paris. At this workshop, in which artists experimented at novel methods of printmaking, JBW (as became known by his initials) worked with artists such as Matisse, Chagall, Picasso, Miró, Dali. Later when teaching at the Camberwell and Slade Schools of Art, he was able to communicate to his pupils his experience of how these artists worked.
