Raverat (Gwendolen Mary "Gwen", pioneering woman artist and founding member of The Society of Wood Engravers, 1885-1957) Comprehensive album of 530 wood engravings, including Raverat's first wood engraving to some of her last, wood-engravings, some printed in colours, a few examples of working proofs in variant states, on various papers, all neatly tipped onto album leaves, nearly all with pencil annotations to leaves describing print titles, some dates and cost prices, all in a uniform hand, possibly that of the artist's cousin Frances Cornford, the prints of varying sizes between approx. 60 x 40 mm (2 1/4 x 1 1/2 in) and 230 x 330 mm (9 x 13 in), some associated prints presented with several to one album leaf, all leaves mounted on stubs and probably expanded and re-arranged in order, occasional handling creases and old folds, a few delicate prints with minor condition issues to extremities, inscription to front endpaper that reads 'Francis and Frances Cornford/ from GR/ July 1926, contemporary cloth, lacking spine, upper cover nearly detached, very worn, folio, circa 1909-1950

Provenance:
Gifted by the artist to her cousin, the poet, Frances Cornford (1886-1960) and her husband in 1926; subsequently expanded and added to by the Cornfords; then by descent to the present owners.

⁂ The largest and most extensive bound collection of Raverat's wood engravings that we can trace to be offered on the art market. A unique opportunity to acquire a comprehensive collection of wood engravings, the beginnings of which were compiled by the artist herself, and later expanded by close family. The album charts her developing aesthetic over 40 years, as well as chronicling Raverat's total refinement of the wood engraving technique to express her artistic vision.

Among the collection, highlight prints include: The Knight of the Burning Pestle, 1909; Child Stealers, 1909; Margaret's Ghost (ballad), 1909; Sir Thomas Browne No. 1 and No. 2, 1910; Flying, 1910; A Dream, 1910-1911; The Creation of Light (drawn by Jacques Raverat, cut by G.R.), 1912; The Storm, 1912; Poplars, 1916; Le Pelvoux (drawn by Jacques Raverat, cut by G.R.), 1918; Boys Bathing, 1919; Bathers, 1920; Bathsheba, 1920; Dancing Boys, 1920; Sleeping Beauty, 1921; Witches, 1924; Sleepers, 1927; The Bourne, 1929; Fighting Goats, 1939; Winter Morning, 1939; The Owl's parachute, [?]1940; Escure's before the War, 1946; Mill by Moonlight, 1946; Childe Rowland, in two variant states, 1947; Swans, 1946; Europa; Horses at night; and Boat Race, amongst many others.