Headpiece (page 73) from The Fables of Aesop
Thomas Bewick
British, 1753–1828
1818
A small wood engraving headpiece by Thomas Bewick that illustrates the Aesop fable “The Thieves and the Cock,” made to condense and dramatize a key moment of the story for readers of the book.
An oval vignette framed by decorative corners catches the eye—two cloaked figures confront a struggling cock in a dim interior, rendered with tight cross-hatching and crisp linework that gives texture and shadow against the spare page.
Bewick’s economical, finely detailed wood engravings helped redefine early-19th-century book illustration by bringing naturalistic observation and expressive narrative into widely circulated, affordable volumes, influencing generations of illustrators and readers.
Medium
Wood engraving from an illustrated book with 323 wood engravings and one etching and engraving
Dimensions
composition: 2 5/16 × 3 1/8" (5.8 × 8 cm); page (irreg.): 8 1/4 × 5 5/16" (21 × 13.5 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
The Louis E. Stern Collection
Accession
680.1964.68
Palette
Exhibitions
