Tailpiece (page 316) from The Fables of Aesop
Thomas Bewick
British, 1753–1828
1818
A tiny wood-engraved tailpiece by Thomas Bewick that punctuates a page of Aesop’s Fables with a compact narrative scene meant to mirror and conclude the text.
Tucked beneath the printed moral, the miniature vignette arrests the eye with delicate cross-hatching and lively gestures— a little theatrical tableau that invites you to lean in and read its tiny action.
Bewick’s economical, expressive wood engraving helped redefine book illustration in the early 19th century by bringing naturalistic detail and narrative punch to mass-produced texts, shaping the look of illustrated books for decades.
Medium
Wood engraving from an illustrated book with 323 wood engravings and one etching and engraving
Dimensions
composition (irreg.): 1 3/16 × 2 1/16" (3 × 5.2 cm); page (irreg.): 8 1/4 × 5 5/16" (21 × 13.5 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
The Louis E. Stern Collection
Accession
680.1964.271
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
