The Artist or, Young Ladies’ Instructor in Ornamental Painting, Drawing etc. consisting of lessons in Grecian painting, Japan painting, Oriental tinting, Mezzotinting, Transferring, Inlaying and manufacturing Ornamented articles for fancy fairs - George Baxter

Gift of Henry M. Huxley

Commentary

"The Artist or, Young Ladies’ Instructor in Ornamental Painting, Drawing etc. consisting of lessons in Grecian painting, Japan painting, Oriental tinting, Mezzotinting, Transferring, Inlaying and manufacturing Ornamented articles for fancy fairs" by George Baxter (1835) invites a cl ose 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 notice 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 B. 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, two Baxter prints, and seventeen lithographs in black, on ivory wove paper, bound in cover with black leather with metallic gold embossing) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (16.6 × 11.1 × 2.2 cm (6 9/16 × 4 3/8 × 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/133399

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