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Tailpiece (page 2) from The Fables of Aesop

Tailpiece (page 2) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick
British, 1753–1828
1818
A small wood engraving tailpiece by Thomas Bewick that finishes a page of Aesop’s Fables with a miniature, narrative vignette meant to ornament and comment on the text.
Your eye is drawn to the lower edge where a crisply hatched riverside scene — tiny boats, clustered figures, and a low, sketched sky — reads like a little stage of human activity, its fine lines and varied textures startlingly alive at that small scale.
Bewick helped redefine wood engraving for the modern illustrated book, combining precise technique and close natural observation to make pictorial vignettes an integral, influential part of mass-produced texts.
Medium
Wood engraving from an illustrated book with 323 wood engravings and one etching and engraving
Dimensions
composition (irreg.): 1 1/8 × 2 13/16" (2.8 × 7.2 cm); page (irreg.): 8 1/4 × 5 5/16" (21 × 13.5 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
The Louis E. Stern Collection
Accession
680.1964.9
Palette
Art Terms
Exhibitions
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Tailpiece (page 8) from The Fables of Aesop 95%

Tailpiece (page 8) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 8) from The Fables of Aesop 95% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1/2 ×... British 680.1964.14
Tailpiece (page 38) from The Fables of Aesop 95%

Tailpiece (page 38) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 38) from The Fables of Aesop 95% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 3/16 ... British 680.1964.39
Tailpiece (page 4) from The Fables of Aesop 95%

Tailpiece (page 4) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 4) from The Fables of Aesop 95% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 × 2... British 680.1964.11
Tailpiece (page 244) from The Fables of Aesop 95%

Tailpiece (page 244) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 244) from The Fables of Aesop 95% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 1/8... British 680.1964.217
Tailpiece (page 78) from The Fables of Aesop 94%

Tailpiece (page 78) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 78) from The Fables of Aesop 94% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 1/2... British 680.1964.73
Tailpiece (page 298) from The Fables of Aesop 94%

Tailpiece (page 298) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 298) from The Fables of Aesop 94% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 7/1... British 680.1964.255
Tailpiece (page 302) from The Fables of Aesop 94%

Tailpiece (page 302) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 302) from The Fables of Aesop 94% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 1/4... British 680.1964.258
Tailpiece (page 316) from The Fables of Aesop 94%

Tailpiece (page 316) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 316) from The Fables of Aesop 94% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 3/1... British 680.1964.271
Tailpiece (page 118) from The Fables of Aesop 94%

Tailpiece (page 118) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 118) from The Fables of Aesop 94% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 5/1... British 680.1964.109
Tailpiece (page 314) from The Fables of Aesop 94%

Tailpiece (page 314) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 314) from The Fables of Aesop 94% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 1/4... British 680.1964.269
Tailpiece (page 136) from The Fables of Aesop 94%

Tailpiece (page 136) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 136) from The Fables of Aesop 94% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 2 3/1... British 680.1964.126
Tailpiece (page 286) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 286) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 286) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 9/1... British 680.1964.246
Tailpiece (page 204) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 204) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 204) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 1/8... British 680.1964.184
Tailpiece (page 280) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 280) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 280) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 1/8... British 680.1964.241
Tailpiece (page 124) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 124) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 124) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 11/16... British 680.1964.114
Tailpiece (page 126) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 126) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 126) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 11/16... British 680.1964.116
Tailpiece (page 152) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 152) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 152) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 1/8... British 680.1964.141
Tailpiece (page 324) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 324) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 324) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 13/16... British 680.1964.278
Tailpiece (page 228) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 228) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 228) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 1/8... British 680.1964.205
Tailpiece (page 156) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 156) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 156) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 5/1... British 680.1964.145
Tailpiece (page 224) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 224) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 224) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 5/1... British 680.1964.202
Tailpiece (page 22) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 22) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 22) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 1/1... British 680.1964.24
Tailpiece (page 158) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 158) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 158) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 11/16... British 680.1964.147
Tailpiece (page 154) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 154) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 154) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 7/8... British 680.1964.143
Tailpiece (page 310) from The Fables of Aesop 93%

Tailpiece (page 310) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 310) from The Fables of Aesop 93% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 5/1... British 680.1964.265
Tailpiece (page 134) from The Fables of Aesop 92%

Tailpiece (page 134) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 134) from The Fables of Aesop 92% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 7/1... British 680.1964.124
Tailpiece (page 176) from The Fables of Aesop 92%

Tailpiece (page 176) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 176) from The Fables of Aesop 92% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 7/8 ×... British 680.1964.163
Tailpiece (page 14) from The Fables of Aesop 92%

Tailpiece (page 14) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 14) from The Fables of Aesop 92% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 9/1... British 680.1964.18
Tailpiece (page 222) from The Fables of Aesop 92%

Tailpiece (page 222) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 222) from The Fables of Aesop 92% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 × 1... British 680.1964.200
Tailpiece (page 18) from The Fables of Aesop 92%

Tailpiece (page 18) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 18) from The Fables of Aesop 92% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 5/1... British 680.1964.21
Tailpiece (page 168) from The Fables of Aesop 92%

Tailpiece (page 168) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 168) from The Fables of Aesop 92% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 1/8... British 680.1964.156
Tailpiece (page 90) from The Fables of Aesop 92%

Tailpiece (page 90) from The Fables of Aesop

Thomas Bewick

1818

Tailpiece (page 90) from The Fables of Aesop 92% Thomas Bewick 1818 Wood engraving from an illustrated bo... Illustrated Book Drawings & Prints composition (irreg.): 1 × 1... British 680.1964.85