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Mermaid Child, The

Maker

(artist)
1891-1981

(printmaker)
1891-1981

Title

Mermaid Child, The

Date of Production

(1920s?) 1920 = 1929

Medium

lino cut

Dimensions

Height: 20.2 cm
Width: 15.6 cm

Accession Number

G.2009.MB.11

Mode of Acquisition

Margaret Bennett, gift, 20.1.2009

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

© Bodleian, Oxford

Location

Not currently on display

Label Text

This image and another similar subject in the collection appear to be illustrations for a fairy story, possibly Hans Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, although Gill’s exact source is not known. The robust cutting and simplified composition are in keeping with the rustic nature of the characters depicted.

To achieve a silhouette effect, Gill has gouged out the surface of the lino around the figures, unintentionally leaving small flecks that have picked up ink and printed black on the sheet. These marks and the incomplete cutting at the lower edge of the block indicate that this is a trial proof of an early state. The collection includes a further unrecorded state, but there is no evidence of a finished print.

Provenance

Previous owner : Gill, Winifred & Bennett, Margaret (Dr)

Exhibition History

Special Display - Works by Winifred Gill, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 22/05/2009-29/09/2009

Inscriptions

Inscription: inscription : : : :

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