Tales of the Great and the Brave - George Baxter

Gift of Henry M. Huxley

"Tales of the Great and the Brave" by George Baxter (1838) Book with letterpress and one Baxgter print on ivory wove paper, bound in hardcover with black cloth.

Commentary

"Tales of the Great and the Brave" by George Baxter (1838) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of the expressive work. Themes to no tice include wood engraving. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. George Baxter is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: George Baxter (English, 1804-1867) text by Margaret Fraser Tytler (Scottish, 19th century) published by Harvey and Darton, London. The work is cataloged within a England cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as wood engraving, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Book with letterpress and one Baxgter print on ivory wove paper, bound in hardcover with black cloth) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (17 × 11.4 × 2.1 cm (6 3/4 × 4 1/2 × 7/8 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include wood engraving. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/61633

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data