Twentieth-century British wood-engraved illustration, up to the beginning of the Second World War, saw some of the most inventive artists of the period - such as Eric Gill, David Jones, Eric Ravilious and John Nash - contributing their work to the book form.
Wood-engravers made a significant impact on the appearance of the printed page, transforming good books into works of art and influencing modern standards of book production.
This far-reaching study examines the work of these pioneering artists, tracing the historical background to this period and looking at the way in which these artists broke with 19th-century illustrative practices.
This large and highly illustrated volume includes much previously unpublished material, including publishers' and print societies' archives and artists' correspondence, and sheds new light on the work and practices of the more innovative wood-engravers.